We All are Europe - AESAEC

• Europe’s economic and social development should centre upon its cultural heritage and
richness
• investment in human resources and framework measures to ensure flexisecurity are of crucial
importance to Europe
• environmental policy should be highlighted as a key force driving innovation and economic
growth.
The fundamental objective of the European Union is the strengthening of economic and social cohesion.
The European Union is aiming at reducing the disparities between different regions. The Structural
Funds play a major role here, including the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and
the European Social Fund (ESF).
1.1.2. European institutions, their mission and how they relate to each other
The European Union has institutions which are not easily understood by the majority of EU citizens.
There is a division of responsibilities between the European and national levels, and thus division
itself is a political decision. The fact that European institutions have been granted the power to
take decisions, calls for “technical” solutions at the European level. Therefore we can assume that
these technical solutions are also political in nature. Nation states can regain some of their lost
regulatory power if they harmonise their taxation and economic policies, as well as social policies at
the European level. After taking this step they can again make decisions at the national level.”
(Habermas, 2009, pp. 83-84)
There are two truly European institutions concerned with Europe on a daily basis, the European
Commission and the European Parliament. But there are also other European institutions, such as
the Council of Ministers and the European Court of Justice.
European Commission (EC)
The European Commission is commonly referred to as the Commission. Each state, after having
acceded to the EU, has one of its nationals acting as a European Commissioner, which means at the
moment there are 27 commissioners. The President of the Commission is nominated by the Heads of
State or Government, and the nomination must be then approved by the European Parliament.
The Commission is the driving force behind European
integration. Its ability to act is important for the development
of common policies and thus for the integration
processes. The Commission defines common interest in
each policy and prepares amendments to proposals. The
Commission is also the guardian of the treaties and the
“acquis communautaire”, that is of all Community Legislation.
It ensures fulfilment of obligations by the
member states.
In the Draft Constitutional Treaty it is stated that the Commission shall ensure the application of
the Constitution (Moussis, 2008. pp. 40-43). The Commission is also the executive body and plays an
administrative role. In addition, the Commission has a representative role, representing the EU in
third countries. The European Commission regularly seeks the views of citizens and stakeholders
when it develops policy and legislation. It launches open consultations in the areas of employment,
social affairs and equal opportunities. Anyone interested in a complete overview of public consultations
launched by the European Commission can consult Your Voice in Europe
(www.europeanvoice.com) on the Commission’s website. Any European citizen or organisation can
participate in discussion forums on a wide range of issues on the Debate Europe platform
36