tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27932062.post5136027727479707191..comments2023-10-10T15:39:35.168+00:00Comments on Centre for European Reform: What is wrong with the European Commission?Centre for European Reformhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815454225955436329noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27932062.post-90607993726929211202013-06-28T03:27:43.757+00:002013-06-28T03:27:43.757+00:00Third, how will drawing the Commission closer to t...Third, how will drawing the Commission closer to the Council increase its legitimacy and effectiveness? It already must negotiate between them in the OLP, and both alreadly have influence over legislative proposals (though the E. Council's is more formalised and the Council can introduce some proposals in the JHA). Therefore it is must be aware of the need to pass a bill in both institutions. The shift towards parliament is more likely to be a rebalancing as the Parliament becomes the Council's equal.<br /><br />By drawing back from the EP and favouring the (E.) Council's influence, which I would argue has resulted in the most polarising decisions in respect of the Eurozone, the Commission is pushed further away from democratic accountability without any appreciable gains in legitimacy. If the policies are still set by the E. Council in a manner were power politics reigns, then how does this help the Commission's standing in the smaller Member States and with the public generally?<br /><br />Since the Commission will have to play a political role in any case, and it needs to be more legimitised, the EP elections development is very welcome, rather than a cause for alarm. Making the Commission a focus of electoral debate brings an executive institution with the power to introduce legislative proposals into public debate and subject to electoral support. In comparison to the ideas for increased powers for national parliaments (which are positive suggestions), this would give voters more control over a policy-creating part of the EU. Democratic accountability is not simply about blocking legislation, mediation or shifting the overall ideological preferences of one or two directly or indirectly elected institutions, but about the ability to generate policy initiatives.<br /><br />This would tackle both the "input" and "output" legitimacy of the EU - though of course it depends on uptake by the electorate, which is likely to be slow to develop and is the subject of another debate.<br /><br />So while I agree with you that the technical enforcement part of the Commission could benefit from more impartiality (perhaps some insulation from the political College of Commissioners would be appropriate?), drawing the Commission further away from the EP would not increase its legitimacy. How this evolves depends on the resistance of the Council, but if public support for a more EP-accountable Commission grows and the Council doesn't prevent it, I don't see how it would be bad to let this evolve.Eurocentrichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09439536905456080079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27932062.post-30031452872116439132013-06-28T03:27:03.455+00:002013-06-28T03:27:03.455+00:00I disagree. The underlying assumption to your arti...I disagree. The underlying assumption to your article appears to be that the Commission should return, or at least emphasise, its technocratic approach, and that this will make it more legitimate. But with the monopoly of legislative initiative and the position of the Commission within the institutional infrastructure, both politically and technically (through enforcement and the exercise of implied/deligated powers), mean that there will always be a strong political element to the Commission and this will raise questions of legitimacy and accountability.<br /><br />Firstly, it is not clear that the Commission is over-sensitive to the European Parliament (EP), though undoubtedly it is more so than before. On the question of Hungary, for example, EU inaction could be just as easily explained from the point of view of Member State governments being unwilling to confront a fellow government. Notably, the EPP is more dominant in the Council than it is in the EP, and there have been very critical voices in the EP on the Hungarian situation.<br /><br />Indeed, the Council, and the European Council, have a high level of power with regard to the legislative programme of the EU (with regard to JHA, the Stockholm Programme and the Hague Programme before it are prime examples).<br /><br />Second, why is the Commission (apart from it's treaty-described position), the sole institution able to present the European interest? Does the EP not also do this? The decisions you describe are not purely techinical matters, and deserve wide debate and public engagement. We should not fall into the trap of seeing the current European economic policy as the only way things can be done. The parliamentary approach in most EU Member States allows for executives that are closely integrated with their parliaments, with independent budgetary offices for forecasts, etc. Would a similar approach (albeit with a strong and institutionally equal Council) not be a good direction for the EU?Eurocentrichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09439536905456080079noreply@blogger.com