A paper presented at the European Union Center of California
How did the power structures of the institutions adopt to the situation of involving ten new member states, which are mostly consisting of smaller populations. The development of power structures in the European institutions in regard to the European enlargement are investigated in this paper. A comparison of the different European institutions and their importance comes to the conclusion that, overall, the bigger states enlarged their power due to the European enlargement.
Table of Contents
1. The Eastern Enlargement of the European Union, 05-01-2005, and the EU institutions: A distribution of power by the number of states or by population?
2. Changes in the European Commission
2.1. Tasks of the European Commission and ways of change in regard to the Eastern Enlargement
2.2. Discussions about and explanations for the changes of the European Commission
3. The European Parliament
3.1. Changes in the European Parliament
3.2. Discussion about and explanations for the distribution of seats in the European Parliament
4. The Council of Ministers
4.1. Changes in the Council of Ministers
4.2. Discussion about and explanations for the changes in the Council of Ministers
5. The European Council
5.1. Changes in the European Council
5.2. Explanations for the changes in the European Council
6. Changes in further EU-Caucuses
6.1 The European Court of Justice
6.2. The European Court of Auditors
6.3. The European Economic and Social Committee
6.4. The Committee of the Regions
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines how the European Union institutions were restructured following the 2005 Eastern Enlargement, specifically analyzing the power balance between member states of varying population sizes. It investigates whether the expansion favored the influence of smaller states or solidified the dominance of larger nations through new treaty arrangements.
- Institutional adaptation to the accession of ten new member states.
- Power dynamics regarding state representation versus population size.
- Evaluation of decision-making systems in the Nice and Constitutional Treaties.
- Analysis of institutional shifts in the Commission, Parliament, and Council.
- Assessment of power shifts in secondary EU bodies.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2. Discussions about and explanations for the changes of the European Commission
Several propositions for the rearrangement of the Commission came up in the last ten years. The 'status-quo' model said that all member states will have one commissioner who is entitled to vote and equal. The increase of commissioners would have to be adapted by a stronger division of labor. In the 'senior-junior' model, a division between a two different kinds of commissioners was proposed. Some commissioners were enabled to vote, some not. Still, every country could keep its own commissioner. Even with an increasing number of member states, a reasonable division of labor and an easier decision making in a smaller council would occur. The 'State Secretary' model would have revalued the general directors of the Directorate-General in Brussels. These nonvoting State Secretaries could represent the commissioners in public, in the council of the commissioners, towards other institutions and states. They would have more influence on the work in their Directorate-Generals. Further on, the 'governance' model would leave the decision about the number and composition of commissioners in the hand of the president of the Commission. (Giering) All these models occurred in the debates, but finally the model of 'rotation' was established in the Constitutional Treaty. It was decided to have one equal commissioner per state and to have a Commission consisting of two thirds of the member states in equal rotation.
The agreement for the model of 'equal rotation' is in favor for an executable Commission which is not too big to come to decisions. With the decision for an equal commissioner of each country and for just one commissioner for each country, it is obvious that the smaller member states gained a lot of weight in the Commission. Nevertheless, why was this model of giving one equal Commissioner for each state be approved by the bigger countries?
Summary of Chapters
1. The Eastern Enlargement of the European Union, 05-01-2005, and the EU institutions: A distribution of power by the number of states or by population?: Introduces the impact of the 2005 enlargement on EU institutional structures and defines the core conflict between state equality and population-based representation.
2. Changes in the European Commission: Details the transition to a rotation system for commissioners and analyzes the resulting shift in influence between small and large member states.
3. The European Parliament: Explores how seat distribution was adjusted post-enlargement and discusses the degressive proportionality model in relation to population size.
4. The Council of Ministers: Examines the contentious shift toward double majority voting and its implications for blocking minorities and national power.
5. The European Council: Reviews the move from a rotary to a permanent presidency structure to enhance administrative continuity.
6. Changes in further EU-Caucuses: Summarizes the institutional continuity maintained in secondary bodies like the Court of Justice and regional committees.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, noting that despite minor gains for smaller states, larger nations maintained or increased their structural power.
Keywords
Eastern Enlargement, European Institutions, Nice Treaty, Constitutional Treaty, Power Distribution, Council of Ministers, European Parliament, European Commission, Double Majority, Qualified Majority Voting, Institutional Reform, Member States, Population Size, Decision-Making, European Integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the structural adaptations of EU institutions following the 2005 Eastern Enlargement and how these changes impacted the power balance between member states.
What central theme does the author address?
The central theme is the tension between the number of member states and the size of their populations when determining political power within European institutions.
What is the main objective of the analysis?
The objective is to determine if the expansion of the EU resulted in a more equitable distribution of power or if larger states managed to retain their dominant position.
Which scientific methodology is used?
The paper utilizes a descriptive and interpretative analysis of legislative changes and debates found in the Nice and Constitutional Treaties.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers individual institutional changes, specifically the Commission, Parliament, Council of Ministers, and other advisory bodies, including the impact of rotation and voting systems.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include Eastern Enlargement, Institutional Reform, European Commission, Council of Ministers, and Power Distribution.
How did the Eastern Enlargement affect the Commission specifically?
It necessitated a move toward a rotation model to prevent the Commission from becoming too large and inefficient, ultimately giving smaller states a seat equal to larger ones.
Why was the double majority voting system implemented?
It was introduced in the Council of Ministers to ensure that decisions represent both a majority of member states and a majority of the total EU population.
What is the significance of the "Passarelle"-clause mentioned?
It allows for a flexible transition from consensus-based decision-making to qualified majority voting without requiring full treaty revision.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Daniela Keller (Autor:in), 2005, Changes in the European Institutions in regard to the Eastern Enlargement: The distribution of power between member states of different population sizes, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/37348
