The European Council

Posted by Jane Lee

The European Council is an official institution of the European Union, mentioned by the Lisbon Treaty as a body which “shall provide the Union with the necessary impetus for its development.” The European Council usually meets four times a year and includes the heads of government of EU member states, a President and the President of the EU Commission. Meetings are chaired by the President, a position currently held by Herman Van Rompuy.

The first Councils were held in 1961 in an informal settings of summits comprised of the European Community. These meetings were only formalized in the period between 1974 and 1988. The European Council was distinguished as a formal institution of the EU in the 2009 Treaty of Lisbon.

Though the European Council has no formal legislative power, it deals with major issues and any decisions it makes are “a major impetus in defining the general political guidelines of the European Union”. It outlines the EU’s policy agenda and has also developed further roles including the settlement of “issues outstanding from discussions at a lower level”, leadership in foreign policy, “formal ratification of important documents” and “involvement in the negotiation of the treaty changes.” In addition it exercises the some executive powers which include the appointment of its own President, the President of the European Commission, and the High Representative.

Our class is interested in learning about the European Council because as an institution within the EU, it plays one of the key roles upholding the EU’s structure. With its distinctive power and contributions to the system, the Council provides critical political leadership to the EU. It is important to our understanding of the EU system that we understand its specific branches and their impact on the international society.

To help us learn more about the European Council, we will be meeting with Mr. Alexis Loeber and Mr. Didier Cosse.

Mr. Alexis Loeber

Posted by Alex Ognibene

Mr. Alexis Loeber

Mr. Alexis Loeber is an External Relations Official for the European Commission.  Mr. Loeber currently specializes in EU-Canada Relations, and formerly served as the Head of the Yerevan Office of the European Commission Delegation to Georgia and Armenia.  In addition to working for the European Union, Mr. Loeber was previously a Vice President at the Deutsche Bank, and a Relationship Manager for Euroclear.

In Brussels, Mr. Loeber will be speaking to TRN151 about the political and economic relations between Canada and the European Union.  This talk will hopefully provide us with insight into the strategic importance of strong bilateral relations, and highlight some of the cooperative initiatives that are currently underway.  Some important areas of discussion will undoubtedly include the war in Afghanistan, environmental policy, Canada’s global reputation, and the potential for a Canada-EU free-trade agreement.  It will also be interesting to hear Mr. Loeber’s opinion on how Canada should prioritize the agenda for the G-8 and G-20 Summits that will be hosted in both Toronto and Muskoka, Ontario, this summer.

The European Commission

Posted By Samuel Chan

The European Commission (EC) is the executive branch of the European Union.  It is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing EU policies, enforcing law (along with the Court of Justice) and representing the EU on the international stage.

The commission is composed of 27 members, one from each EU nation.  Known as commissioners, these members forswear their national allegiances, and pledge to act in the interest of the European Union alone.  Every five years, a new commission is appointed, and one of the members is chosen to be the President of the Commission.  The current President is José Manuel Durão Barroso, from Portugal.

The Commission is based in Brussels, Belgium, but also has offices in Luxembourg and representation in all EU member states.  Its working languages are English, French, and German.