India has nearly 1.2 billion people, the European Union almost 0.5 billion.
India has 28 states and 7 territories, the EU has 27 member states.
India has two official languages and more than twenty other official languages at state level. The European Union has 23 official languages.
India has a federal, secular and democratic constitution. The European Union has not.
***
What do we mean by first world and third world?
Ralf Grahn
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Friday, 17 July 2009
“EU President” Tony Blair?
Despite Charlemagne’s notebook, the UK government has done European public debate a service by backing Tony Blair for the post of President of the European Council.
Julien Frisch and The European Citizen are among the many who have contributed actively.
***
European credentials
What has Tony Blair’s done for the evolving core areas of EU action?
1) A European Union speaking with one voice in the world. Moves to achieve a coherent and consistent European common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and common security and defence policy (CSDP), away from solo flying by individual member states (including the UN Security Council, international orgnisations and relations with the USA). A proven commitment to a common European defence, in alliance with NATO, but not subservient to the United States.
2) The Schengen agreement abolishing border controls between the member states.
3) Adoption or at least the clear commitment to adopt the common currency (euro).
4) Justice and home affairs: Full participation in the area of freedom, security and justice.
5) The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
6) Driving force or brake during the treaty reform process of the European Union since the December 2000 European Council in Nice?
***
European vision
Even if the Lisbon Treaty enters into force, the pre-democratic European Union will continue to be a “hobbled giant”. Effective action and democratic legitimacy require profound reform, leading to a union based on its citizens.
***
Election procedure
Deals behind closed doors are possible only if the members of the European Council feel that EU citizens are not alienated enough from their project.
The British government has promoted an open debate. It is time for the Swedish Council Presidency to set the ground rules for open nominations and public debate on the top posts and between the candidates.
Ralf Grahn
Julien Frisch and The European Citizen are among the many who have contributed actively.
***
European credentials
What has Tony Blair’s done for the evolving core areas of EU action?
1) A European Union speaking with one voice in the world. Moves to achieve a coherent and consistent European common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and common security and defence policy (CSDP), away from solo flying by individual member states (including the UN Security Council, international orgnisations and relations with the USA). A proven commitment to a common European defence, in alliance with NATO, but not subservient to the United States.
2) The Schengen agreement abolishing border controls between the member states.
3) Adoption or at least the clear commitment to adopt the common currency (euro).
4) Justice and home affairs: Full participation in the area of freedom, security and justice.
5) The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
6) Driving force or brake during the treaty reform process of the European Union since the December 2000 European Council in Nice?
***
European vision
Even if the Lisbon Treaty enters into force, the pre-democratic European Union will continue to be a “hobbled giant”. Effective action and democratic legitimacy require profound reform, leading to a union based on its citizens.
***
Election procedure
Deals behind closed doors are possible only if the members of the European Council feel that EU citizens are not alienated enough from their project.
The British government has promoted an open debate. It is time for the Swedish Council Presidency to set the ground rules for open nominations and public debate on the top posts and between the candidates.
Ralf Grahn
Friday, 10 July 2009
Introduction to the EU Council
In a European Union based on the member states, the intergovernmental European Council and the Council, part legislative and part executive, are the most important tandem in the “institutional triangle”, which includes the European Commission and the European Parliament.
For those, who want to know more than most general EU textbooks offer, the Council has published: An introduction to the Council of the European Union (2008; 68 pages).
The Introduction, which rejects the description of the Council as intergovernmental and sees it as a supranational institution, is available on the Council’s web pages and at the EU Bookshop.
The Contents of the Introduction offer a picture of what the publication is about:
Chapter 1 - The Council and the people working in it
A profile
Chapter 2 - The special role of the European Council
The EU’s helmsman
Chapter 3 - The Council at work
The Council as a legislative body
Chapter 4 - In partnership
The Council’s relations with the other European Union institutions and bodies
Chapter 5 - Promoting prosperity and preserving peace
The Council’s role in external relations
Chapter 6 - Supporting growth and employment
The Council and economic policy
Chapter 7 - Establishing an area of freedom, security and justice
The Council’s role in justice and home affairs
Chapter 8 - Looking to the future
***
As a public relations brochure, the Introduction to the Council of the European Union is somewhat Panglossian in style, but it presents the facts correctly and the language is accessible for general readers.
Ralf Grahn
For those, who want to know more than most general EU textbooks offer, the Council has published: An introduction to the Council of the European Union (2008; 68 pages).
The Introduction, which rejects the description of the Council as intergovernmental and sees it as a supranational institution, is available on the Council’s web pages and at the EU Bookshop.
The Contents of the Introduction offer a picture of what the publication is about:
Chapter 1 - The Council and the people working in it
A profile
Chapter 2 - The special role of the European Council
The EU’s helmsman
Chapter 3 - The Council at work
The Council as a legislative body
Chapter 4 - In partnership
The Council’s relations with the other European Union institutions and bodies
Chapter 5 - Promoting prosperity and preserving peace
The Council’s role in external relations
Chapter 6 - Supporting growth and employment
The Council and economic policy
Chapter 7 - Establishing an area of freedom, security and justice
The Council’s role in justice and home affairs
Chapter 8 - Looking to the future
***
As a public relations brochure, the Introduction to the Council of the European Union is somewhat Panglossian in style, but it presents the facts correctly and the language is accessible for general readers.
Ralf Grahn
To the leaders of Europe
Would you like the government in Iran to be based on free and fair elections?
Do you envy the strength of the United States in the world?
Do you find it natural that India is a democracy?
Would human rights and democracy be beneficial to China?
If you answer yes to one or more questions, why haven’t you made the European Union a democracy instead of a mere exporter of democracy?
Ralf Grahn
Do you envy the strength of the United States in the world?
Do you find it natural that India is a democracy?
Would human rights and democracy be beneficial to China?
If you answer yes to one or more questions, why haven’t you made the European Union a democracy instead of a mere exporter of democracy?
Ralf Grahn
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Barroso officially nominated
When the European Council on 18 to 19 June 2009 put forward José Manuel Barroso as the intended nominee for the post of President of the Commission, this blog wondered why the heads of state or government did not make an official nomination, why the European Parliament should vote on an unofficial proposal and what the European leaders hoped to gain by delaying the nomination for a few weeks.
Typically, no reasons have been given, but today the Council has issued a press release on a written procedure:
“Council decides to nominate Mr. José Manuel Durão Barroso as the person it intends to appoint as President of the Commission for 2009-2014
Following the European Council on 18 and 19 June 2009, the Council, in the composition of Heads of State or Government, adopted today a decision nominating Mr. José Manuel Durão Barroso as the person the Council intends to appoint as President of the Commission for the period from 1 November 2009 to 31 October 2014.
The decision will be forwarded to the European Parliament.” (Brussels, 9 July 2009 11850/09) (Presse 212)
***
Sweden’s EU Minister Cecilia Malmström has commented in positive terms on her blog.
***
Meanwhile, the political groups in the European Parliament had told the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt that the EP vote on Barroso will take place later than the July 2009 inaugural session.
Despite the timing, after the tripartite agreement between the political groups of the European People’s Party (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (PASD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) the road seems to be clear for a reappointment of Barroso, as reported by Jean Quatremer on Coulisses de Bruxelles.
***
This will intensify the efforts by the national governments to propose members for the next Commission, if they have not done so, and to jockey for important posts for the next five years, although it is still unclear if the new Commission will be confirmed under Lisbon of Nice Treaty rules.
Ralf Grahn
Typically, no reasons have been given, but today the Council has issued a press release on a written procedure:
“Council decides to nominate Mr. José Manuel Durão Barroso as the person it intends to appoint as President of the Commission for 2009-2014
Following the European Council on 18 and 19 June 2009, the Council, in the composition of Heads of State or Government, adopted today a decision nominating Mr. José Manuel Durão Barroso as the person the Council intends to appoint as President of the Commission for the period from 1 November 2009 to 31 October 2014.
The decision will be forwarded to the European Parliament.” (Brussels, 9 July 2009 11850/09) (Presse 212)
***
Sweden’s EU Minister Cecilia Malmström has commented in positive terms on her blog.
***
Meanwhile, the political groups in the European Parliament had told the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt that the EP vote on Barroso will take place later than the July 2009 inaugural session.
Despite the timing, after the tripartite agreement between the political groups of the European People’s Party (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (PASD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) the road seems to be clear for a reappointment of Barroso, as reported by Jean Quatremer on Coulisses de Bruxelles.
***
This will intensify the efforts by the national governments to propose members for the next Commission, if they have not done so, and to jockey for important posts for the next five years, although it is still unclear if the new Commission will be confirmed under Lisbon of Nice Treaty rules.
Ralf Grahn
EU Council’s Rules of Procedure
After the blog posts on Article 207 TEC and Article 240 TFEU, as well as on Swedish openness and the Lisbon Treaty, Information about EU Council: Swedish Presidency and first aid and Free EU Council publications, we turn to more detailed provisions.
While we are waiting for the Swedish EU Council Presidency to publish proposals for the new Rules of Procedure of the Council and other decisions concerning the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon, we look at the existing Council’s Rules of Procedure.
***
Council’s Rules of Procedure
Detailed rules on the Council of the European Union are given in Council Decision 2006/683/EC, Euratom of 15 September 2006 adopting the Council's Rules of Procedure, originally published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) 16.10.2006 L 285/47.
The latest consolidated version of the Council’s Rules of Procedure is of 1 January 2009.
***
Contents
The headlines of the Articles and the Annexes offer a picture of the contents of the Council’s Rules of Procedure:
Article 1
Notice and venue of meetings
Article 2
Configurations of the Council, role of the General Affairs and External Relations Council and programming
Article 3
Agenda
Article 4
Representation of a Council member unable to attend
Article 5
Meetings
Article 6
Professional secrecy and production of documents in legal proceedings
Article 7
Cases where the Council acts in its legislative capacity
Article 8
Council deliberations open to the public and public debates
Article 9
Making public votes, explanations of votes and minutes
Article 10
Public access to Council documents
Article 11
Voting arrangements and quorum
Article 12
Ordinary written procedure and silence procedure
Article 13
Minutes
Article 14
Deliberations and decisions on the basis of documents and drafts drawn up in the languages provided for by the language rules in force
Article 15
Signing of acts
Article 16
Absence of the possibility to participate in the vote
Article 17
Publication of acts in the Official Journal
Article 18
Notification of acts
Article 19
Coreper, committees and working parties
Article 20
The Presidency and the businesslike conduct of discussions
Article 21
Reports from committees and working parties
Article 22
Quality of drafting
Article 23
The Secretary-General and the General Secretariat
Article 24
Security
Article 25
Duties as depositary of agreements and conventions
Article 26
Representation before the European Parliament
Article 27
Provisions concerning the form of acts
Article 28
Correspondence addressed to the Council
ANNEX I
LIST OF COUNCIL CONFIGURATIONS
ANNEX II
SPECIFIC PROVISIONS REGARDING PUBLIC ACCESS TO COUNCIL
DOCUMENTS
ANNEX III
DETAILED RULES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROVISIONS
CONCERNING THE WEIGHTING OF VOTES IN THE COUNCIL
ANNEX IV
(1. In application of the following provisions of the Rules of Procedure and for
decisions in respect of which, under the Treaties, members of the Council or
of Coreper may not participate in the vote, account is not to be taken of votes
by such members:)
ANNEX V
WORKING METHODS FOR AN ENLARGED COUNCIL
ANNEX VI
PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE FORMS OF ACTS
***
Next, we are going to turn to Coreper, then the General Secretariat and finally publications about the Council of the European Union.
Ralf Grahn
While we are waiting for the Swedish EU Council Presidency to publish proposals for the new Rules of Procedure of the Council and other decisions concerning the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon, we look at the existing Council’s Rules of Procedure.
***
Council’s Rules of Procedure
Detailed rules on the Council of the European Union are given in Council Decision 2006/683/EC, Euratom of 15 September 2006 adopting the Council's Rules of Procedure, originally published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) 16.10.2006 L 285/47.
The latest consolidated version of the Council’s Rules of Procedure is of 1 January 2009.
***
Contents
The headlines of the Articles and the Annexes offer a picture of the contents of the Council’s Rules of Procedure:
Article 1
Notice and venue of meetings
Article 2
Configurations of the Council, role of the General Affairs and External Relations Council and programming
Article 3
Agenda
Article 4
Representation of a Council member unable to attend
Article 5
Meetings
Article 6
Professional secrecy and production of documents in legal proceedings
Article 7
Cases where the Council acts in its legislative capacity
Article 8
Council deliberations open to the public and public debates
Article 9
Making public votes, explanations of votes and minutes
Article 10
Public access to Council documents
Article 11
Voting arrangements and quorum
Article 12
Ordinary written procedure and silence procedure
Article 13
Minutes
Article 14
Deliberations and decisions on the basis of documents and drafts drawn up in the languages provided for by the language rules in force
Article 15
Signing of acts
Article 16
Absence of the possibility to participate in the vote
Article 17
Publication of acts in the Official Journal
Article 18
Notification of acts
Article 19
Coreper, committees and working parties
Article 20
The Presidency and the businesslike conduct of discussions
Article 21
Reports from committees and working parties
Article 22
Quality of drafting
Article 23
The Secretary-General and the General Secretariat
Article 24
Security
Article 25
Duties as depositary of agreements and conventions
Article 26
Representation before the European Parliament
Article 27
Provisions concerning the form of acts
Article 28
Correspondence addressed to the Council
ANNEX I
LIST OF COUNCIL CONFIGURATIONS
ANNEX II
SPECIFIC PROVISIONS REGARDING PUBLIC ACCESS TO COUNCIL
DOCUMENTS
ANNEX III
DETAILED RULES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROVISIONS
CONCERNING THE WEIGHTING OF VOTES IN THE COUNCIL
ANNEX IV
(1. In application of the following provisions of the Rules of Procedure and for
decisions in respect of which, under the Treaties, members of the Council or
of Coreper may not participate in the vote, account is not to be taken of votes
by such members:)
ANNEX V
WORKING METHODS FOR AN ENLARGED COUNCIL
ANNEX VI
PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE FORMS OF ACTS
***
Next, we are going to turn to Coreper, then the General Secretariat and finally publications about the Council of the European Union.
Ralf Grahn
Free EU Council publications
The Council of the European Union publishes a number of useful publications on the web page Free Council publications.
Here are a few examples of fairly recent titles:
ESDP Newsletter – Issue 7 Winter 2009 (available in English and French)
Annual report from the Council to the European Parliament on the main aspects and basic choices of the CFSP – 2008 (available in 22 languages)
Council Annual report on access to documents - 2008 (available in 22 languages)
EU Guidelines Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law - March 2009 (available in English and French)
EU Annual Report on Human Rights 2008 (available in English, French and German)
The European Union Strategy against the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (available in English and French)
Mainstreaming Human Rights and Gender into European Security and Defence Policy (in English)
Extract from the Interinstitutional Directory - January 2008 (in English and French)
An introduction to the Council of the European Union - 2008 (available in 22 languages)
THE AFRICA-EUROPEAN UNION STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP, June 2008 (available in English, French and Portuguese)
Climate change and international security (available in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish)
Public Register of Authentic Identity and Travel Documents Online (available in 22 languages)
The European Union and the International Criminal Court - February 2008 (in English)
Information handbook of the Council of the European Union (in 22 languages)
***
You can download the publications (pdf files) instantly for free, but most of them are on offer as hard copies as well and can be delivered by post.
Ralf Grahn
Here are a few examples of fairly recent titles:
ESDP Newsletter – Issue 7 Winter 2009 (available in English and French)
Annual report from the Council to the European Parliament on the main aspects and basic choices of the CFSP – 2008 (available in 22 languages)
Council Annual report on access to documents - 2008 (available in 22 languages)
EU Guidelines Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law - March 2009 (available in English and French)
EU Annual Report on Human Rights 2008 (available in English, French and German)
The European Union Strategy against the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (available in English and French)
Mainstreaming Human Rights and Gender into European Security and Defence Policy (in English)
Extract from the Interinstitutional Directory - January 2008 (in English and French)
An introduction to the Council of the European Union - 2008 (available in 22 languages)
THE AFRICA-EUROPEAN UNION STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP, June 2008 (available in English, French and Portuguese)
Climate change and international security (available in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish)
Public Register of Authentic Identity and Travel Documents Online (available in 22 languages)
The European Union and the International Criminal Court - February 2008 (in English)
Information handbook of the Council of the European Union (in 22 languages)
***
You can download the publications (pdf files) instantly for free, but most of them are on offer as hard copies as well and can be delivered by post.
Ralf Grahn
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