Large and small countries have preference when it comes to the power that the council and the commission have
Large –> council
Small –> commission
Why do larger countries prefer the council
Because here population size plays a part in the decision making process, the bigger your population is, the more power you have.
Why do larger countries prefer the commission
Because every member state has 1 commissioner, giving small countries equal representation.
What are the main supranational EU institutions?
- European commission
- Court of Justice
- European Parliament
How can the Commission stop the legislative process?
By not proposing legislation or by withdrawing a proposal.
How does the European Commission influence EU decision-making?
The commission proposes laws (right of legislative initiative), without the commission you cannot propose a law
How does the Council of Ministers influence EU decision-making?
The Council represents member state governments and must approve legislation together with the European Parliament.
Why can both the Commission and the Council stop the process, but not push it forward alone?
Because EU law-making requires cooperation between institutions.
Commission → proposes
Council + Parliament → approve
No single institution can complete the process alone.
How can the Council stop the legislative process?
By not approving the proposed legislation during voting.
How are decisions taken in the Council of Ministers?
Through three possible voting systems:
- Simple majority
- Qualified majority voting (QMV)
- Unanimity
Which voting system is used most often in the EU Council? How much %
Qualified Majority Voting (about 80% of decisions).
Why doesn’t one member state usually have veto power in the Council?
Because most decisions use Qualified Majority Voting, not unanimity.
In which situations can a member state veto a decision?
When the decision requires UNANIMITY.
Is there only one type of Council of Ministers meeting? HOW MANY ARE THERE?
10, depending on the policy topic
What determines which ministers attend a Council meeting?
The policy topic being discussed.
Example:
finance ministers → economic issues
agriculture ministers → farming policy
environment ministers → climate policy
What is simple majority voting?
More than 50% of member states vote in favour.
There are 27 states which means that 14 countries should vote for yes, which country that is doesn’t matter. small countries could overrule the bigger countries: if 14 small countries vote yes that could overrules Germany, Italy and France.
Does population matter in simple majority voting?
No. Each member state counts as one vote.
How often is simple majority used in EU decision-making?
Very rarely (less than 1% of decisions).
What is the minimum number of states required for QMV?
15 member states.
What is Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)?
A voting system where a decision needs both:
55% of member states
65% of the EU population
Why does QMV include both states and population?
To balance representation of COUNTRIES and representation of CITIZENS.
What is a blocking minority in the Council?
A group of AT LEAST 4 member states that can block a decision.
Approximately what share of the EU population does Germany represent?
About 18%.
Why must a blocking minority include at least four countries?
To prevent a few large countries from blocking decisions alone.
