Keres
Observers in the European Ϸվ
Accession to the European Union is a long process, requiring not only legislative, administrative and economic adaptation to EU standards, but also a degree of adaptation to the working methods of the EU institutions. One of these new working methods candidate countries must navigate is how the European Ϸվ organises its activities, how members interact, and how to build alliances and dialogue among the various political families represented in Ϸվ. Ϸվ's rules of procedure allow ...
Council Decision (EU) 2018/994 modifying the 1976 European Electoral Act: Ratification status
Council Decision (EU) 2018/994, amending the 1976 European Electoral act is not yet in force. According to Article 223 TFEU, Ϸվ has the exclusive right to propose amendments to the electoral rules, while the Council adopts them unanimously after Ϸվ's consent. Moreover, Member States must approve those adopted rules in accordance with their constitutional requirements. However, not all Member States have ratified the Council's 2018 decision.
Ϸվ's right of legislative initiative
The European Commission has a near monopoly on legislative initiative in the European Union (EU), with special initiative rights for other institutions applying only in certain specific cases. However, the European Ϸվ and the Council may invite the Commission to submit legislative proposals. While this 'indirect' initiative right does not create an obligation on the Commission to propose the legislation requested, the Treaty of Lisbon codified the Commission's obligation to provide reasons ...
Youth policy dialogues: Young people's participation in EU policy-making
Involving young people could be considered an ethical requirement in any inclusive approach to the policy-making process. However, while young people are often the direct addressees of specific policy initiatives, their voices are little heard – whether at Member State or EU level. Over the past 5 to 6 years, the younger generations have been able to claim more attention from politicians, and from society at large, on matters they close to their hearts. A case in point was the school climate strikes ...
The Commission as 'caretaker administration'
The hearings of the Commissioners-designate before the European Ϸվ's committees are scheduled to take place between 4 and 12 November 2024. Depending on the results of the hearings, the plenary vote on the entire Commission is likely to take place during the November plenary session (25-28 November) or the December session in Strasbourg. Before such a vote, President-elect Ursula von der Leyen will present the full college and its programme. Considering that the incumbent Commission was appointed ...
Participatory budgeting: A pathway to inclusive and transparent governance
Across the world and especially in developed countries, there has been a decline in trust in democratic institutions, an increase in political discontent and citizen dissatisfaction, and a resulting decrease in voter turnout. Economic crises, climate disruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated these sentiments. In the late 1980s, participatory budgeting – an approach that allows citizens to directly engage in budgetary decisions – emerged as one of the most promising solutions to ...
The evolving powers of the European Ϸվ
Ϸվ has come a long way since its inception in 1951. Initially a consultative body composed of delegations of national parliaments, it has become a directly elected institution, has obtained budgetary and legislative powers, and now exercises influence over most aspects of EU affairs. Together with representatives of national governments, who sit in the Council, Ϸվ co-decides on European legislation, in what could be seen as a bicameral legislature at EU level. This publication ...
New EU interinstitutional body for ethical standards
Transparency and ethical rules are essential to preserve citizens' confidence in public institutions. Corruption, defined by Transparency International as 'the abuse of entrusted power for private gain', is a threat for every country – and for the European Union (EU) institutions. According to a 2023 Eurobarometer survey, 70 % of the Europeans interviewed believed that corruption was widespread, and almost 75 % thought that there was corruption in the public institutions in their own country. At ...
Role and election of the President of the European Commission
With the 2024 elections now over, during its first part-session, from 16 to 19 July 2024, the new Ϸվ is due to vote in a secret ballot on whether to approve the European Council's chosen candidate for President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. She was the lead candidate for the European People's Party. In Ϸվ, the candidate needs to secure 361 votes, i.e. an absolute majority of all Members (currently 720). The President of the European Commission has taken on an ever ...
Timeline to new EU institutional leadership
The June 2024 European elections were just the first step in a broader renewal of the leadership of all the European Union's main institutions. This revised timeline, following the decision of the Conference of Presidents of Ϸվ's political groups to hold the election of the Commission President on 18 July 2024, sets out the main steps up until the end of 2024, with likely timings.