Political Institutions Essay

The parliament which is officially cognize as the European Parliament is the only sums torso that directly elected. It is do up of 785 parts who are elected for five year terms by universal suffrage and are determined by the political loyalty. By virtue of being the only elected carcass of the union, parliament reflects the more than 500 million citizens wishes, however, it has relatively weaker agent as compared to the council in some areas such having the absolute legislative powers. Its powers embroil co-owning the legislative and budgetary authority of the union with the council.Further, it has power over the rush which the council do non enjoy and hence earning it the praises that it is the most powerful and classless legislature in the globe. Parliament overview, 2007 Its current president who also doubles as its speaker is Hans-Gert Pottering elected in 2007.The council of the European Union which was also know as the Council of Ministers due to its composition, it is composed of national ministers, one per nation, who meets various capacities depending with the aftermath to be discussed e.g. if it is security matters being discussed then the respective ministers in sex of security matters in each nation attends the council. It co- stimulates both the legislative and budgetary powers with the parliament, and further it holds the executive powers, making it the main decision making organ of the EU.The power of the council is however, kept at bay through a rotating smorgasbord of its leadership, its presidency rotates amid the particle states every six months and wherefore preventing every attempts to override the mandate of the council over the other unions institutions. Again, the decision making is causa to voting with majority or unanimity being set as the requirements, with the votes being allocated by the ratio of population. The councils power also conveys to the require of the other two linchpins of the union namely the c ommon Foreign and warranter Policy and the Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal matters. The Council of the European Union, 2007The relegation of the European Communities forms the executive arm of the union its composition includes one penis each from the unions states i.e. twenty seven. The members are elected on condition that they will not represent their respective national interests. The trunks main duty is to draft all the police force of the union and has a monopoly of legislative inventiveness within the European Community pillar however, the laws are subject to approval by both the parliament and the council.Again, its powers extend to overseeing the daily activities of the union and also it has got a duty to up hold the law and treaties and hence playing the habit of a Guardian of the Treaties that makeup the union. Its powers are put to check by the fact that the president who is the directions wellspring is nominated by the council and approved by the p arliament.Other members of the commission who are cognise as the commissioners are proposed by member states in credit with the commissions president and again approved by the parliament. The commissions current president is Jose Manuel Baroso who together with his commission was elected into character in 2004. Institutions Commission, 2007This is the supreme court of justice of the European Communities also known as the European Court of Justice it acts on Union law matters. It is composed of twenty seven judges one apiece from the member states, the court president is chosen (elected) from among the 27, currently Vassilos Skouris is the occupier of the post.The courts major role is to make sure that the Union law is adhered to by all the member states, its supremacy is seen on the fact that the Union law overrides national laws of members nations. For eccentric in 2001 it ruled that a section of the national constitution of Germany was not in order with the Union law because i t barred women from engaging in military roles. 20 The court of justice does not act all exclusively in matters concerning the Union law it is assisted by two lesser courts known as the Court of First Instance of the European Communities (CFI) and elegant Service Tribunal. Institutions Court of Justice, 2007The sensitivity of fraud cases and the fact that the Unions Budget involved large amounts of money, an auditing body was necessary the court of auditors is creditworthy for the monitoring of the expenditure of the union and preparing yearly audits on the Unions budget. Its name does not necessarily imply any legal or judicial powers but it gives views on legislations that involve financial matters. It is composed of one member apiece from the union members and who are appointed by the council every six eld, with the president being elected every three years from among them, currently Hubert Weber occupies the seat. Institutions Court of Auditors, 2007With new laws and treaties being enacted chiefly to support new members and new ideologies and partly to streamline the functioning of the Unions institutions, new institutions lay down been proposed to be created. Under Lisbon Treaty of Changes the following institutions are proposed the European Council, which has been formerly acting as an informal body under the Council of ministers. Its pedigree will see it assuming the executive powers that were initially the preserve of the council of ministers and therefore becoming the highest political body of the Union. Other powers will include delineating the Unions policy agenda and creating the momentum for integration, other features will be similar to that of the council of ministers.The other proposed institution is the European Central Bank, this bank is atilt to represent the interests of the euro-zone i.e. the fifteen states that have adopted the euro, and the main idea in arrears the formation of this body is to induce fiscal controls in order to defend price stability. Its governance will include a board made national bank governors and a president appointed by the European Council currently Jean-Claude Trichet is the president. Draft Treaty modifying, 2007The European Union system of presidency though unique can be likened to other models of governance, for instance, Germanys federalism and the Swiss federal council where power is principally shared between the state and the federal giving medication with the states having a principal say in the decision making process even at the federal level unlike in US where powers are clearly divided between the state and the federal government with the state having limited say over decision making process. The rotating presidency, the picking of lesser cities to host the headquarters of the Community Institutions, the spreading of executive powers between the institutions, are some of the equal representation measures employed by the EU. Borzel, Tanja A, 2002 References EU Law B log, available at http//eulaw.typad.com, accessed on November 26, 2008Merging of the executives, available at http//www.enalu?lang=2&doc=473, accessed on November 26, 2008EUR-Lex Treaties, available at