Sample listening report

A whistle-stop tour of the European Institutions

The reporter in the broadcast gives us a tour of some of the European Union (EU) buildings at the heart of Brussels’s European district, as he describes the functions of the three main EU bodies, i.e., the Commission, the Parliament and the Council.

Robert Schuman, who was one of the first and most influential people to be inspired by the idea of a united Europe, was a former French foreign minister whose name was given to the metro station in the district. A monument commemorating him was erected in front of the Berlaymont, which is the main building of the Commission.

The European political construction started after the Second World War, and it grew from 6 to 27 countries. The EU enables the same policies and legislative standards to be enforced in policy areas such as global warming, pollution, chemicals or pandemic diseases. The EU also helps improve the infrastructure in certain Member States (MS), for example the Hungarian sewage system. This means that, whether you like it or not, the rich MS pay to help the poor ones.

The first main EU institution mentioned in the report is the Commission with its 27 Commissioners, each one of whom is in charge of a certain policy area. The Commission’s main task is to propose new laws. It is also the guardian of the soul of Europe, and as such, it is above national interests. Given the balance of power the Commission has with the other two institutions, the EU is a unique experiment in the world.

Thus the Commission’s power is limited, since it needs to reconcile with the national interests represented at the Council, which is the second main EU institution presented.  Government representatives from MS meet at the Council every week. They have meetings on specific themes, such as defence, agriculture or foreign affairs. The most important meetings attended by heads of state and government are held at least three times a year; these can be tense affairs.  The bar visited between formal sessions provides a good opportunity to have informal discussions.

The third main institution, which is more familiar than the other two for those of us from democratic countries, is the European Parliament (EP). The Members of the EP (MEPs) are seated according to political groups. The MEPs debate issues in proposed laws, on which they can then vote to amend.  Even if used rarely, this institution also has the power to revoke the nominations of the Commission or to reject the proposed EU budget, and its influence had been ever increasing when this report aired.

In a nutshell, laws are drafted by the Commission, and sent to the Council for verification. Then the Council can send them back to the Commission for changes. The decision process continues at the EP, which may vote for amendments to the legislative proposals.  Afterwards, the Commission decides whether or not to modify the proposed texts, and sends them to the Council for approval again.  As such, this legislative circuit consists in a unique balance of powers between these three European Institutions.