EPP Summary

Institutional Anatomy

Historic Overview

1951/1952: Treaty of Paris  European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

1957/1958: Treaty of Rome  European Economic Community (EEC) + Euratom

1966/1967: Merger Treaty  Merging European Communities (ECSC + EEC + Euratom)

1986: Single European Act (SEA)

1992/1993: Treaty of Maastricht  Single European Market (SEM) // EUROPEAN UNION //

1999: Treaty of Amsterdam  Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) + Introduction Single Currency

2003: Treaty of Nice

2007/2009: Treaty of Lisbon  Abolition of Pillar structure, EU gains legal personality, Co-decision
procedure for Council and EP

EU Pillar System

Pillar 1: European Communities (ECSC / EEC / Euratom)  Abolished through Treaty of Lisbon; only
Euratom remained

Pillar 2: Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)

Pillar 3: Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)

European Commission

Started as High Authority under ECSC (Community Method / Neo-Functionalism)

Both secretariat and executive

Consists of Directorates-General (DG’s) according to areas of policy activity and 27 Commissioners

President chosen by European Council through QMV under Treaty of Nice (President Barroso)

The Functions of the EU Commission are as follows:

 Legislative Proposals
 Implementation of legislation after decision-making by Council and EP (Co-Decision)
 Monitoring of implementation by MS  Comitology: Partnership National/European
Governance, Supervision of MS in implementation of legislation
 Fining MS for Non-Compliance through the ECJ
 Representative of the EU with third countries and in multilateral negotiations (CFSP 
Catherine Ashton, External EU Relations)