Describe the main institutions of the European Union and evaluate their roles. United Kingdom joined the European Community, now known as European Union (EU) on 1st January
Describe the main institutions of the European Union and evaluate their roles.
United Kingdom joined the European Community, now known as European Union (EU) on 1st January 1973. In 1986, The Single Economic Market was introduced by the Single European Act. In 1992, the Maastricht Treaty outlined the three areas or pillars that the Union will concentrate on: economic and social policies, Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Justice and Home Affairs. In 1997, the Treaty of Amsterdam concentrated on a few issues, for example social policy and citizenship. The Treaty of Nice of 2001 effectively added twelve new members to the Union. In 2003, the European Constitution was drafted. It was signed in the following year, only to be rejected in French and Dutch referenda, which prompted other nations to halt or postpone their ratification plans. It was supposed to be ratified by 2006, but this is now impossible. The institutions created under the European Union each play an important role and they shall be discussed below.
The European Commission is made is of twenty five members, subject to the approval of Parliament. Interestingly, they do not represent the country from which they come, although they must be nationals of one of the EU countries. These Commissioners represent the interest of the Union as a whole. The most important function of this Commission is that it is the only body that can initiate legislation. It does so for issues that falls under the first pillar, that is under the European Community category, while the power to initiate legislation on second and third pillars it shares with the member states. It can also legislate when the European Parliament or Council of EU formally orders it to do so. It ensures that EU law is upheld and is able to bring those that do not obey them to the European Court of Justice. It drafts the annual budget. It negotiates international trade agreements with countries outside the EU. It also decides on matters concerning the accession of new members to the EU.
