1. DECISIONS IN THE UE
How the EU takes decisions

2. Decision-making
• Diferent institutions:
the European Parliament (EP/Parliament).
the Council of the European Union.
the European Commission.

3. European Commission
proposes new legislation
The Council and
Parliament pass the laws.
Some cases, the Council
can act alone

4. The main forms of EU law
• Directives and regulations
Directives establish a Regulations are
common aim for all directly applicable
member states throughout the EU
•Leave it to •Without any
national authorities adition by the
to decide member state.

5. The rules and procedures
Are laid down
‘legal basis’
in the Treaties.

6. Legislative procedure
• The three main procedures are:
‘co-decision’,
‘consultation’
‘the assent’.

7. CO-DECISION

9. CO-DECISION
• This procedure is as follows
• The Commission presents
a proposal for a legislative
FIRST act
• This is presented to the
European Parliament and
SECOND the Council.

10. First reading
• Parliament adopts its position at first reading.
– There is no time limit
• Prepares a draft report is then discussed
within the political groups .
• Parliament adopts its position by a simple
majority

11. POSIBILITIES
If the Parliament´s
If Parliament adopts
position does not
its position with
contain any
amendments:
amendments
The act is If the Council approves all the
amendments and does not
adopted by the change the original is adopted
Council by by the Council
qualified majority • Signed and published.
If the Council does not approve
all the amendments or rejects
It is published in them
the Official • It is forwarded to Parliament for
its second reading.
Journal.

12. Second reading
• Parliament examines the Council position
– time limit of 3 months
• It may:
– approve the Council position
o Is adopted
– reject the Council position
o Is closed definitively
– propose amendments to the Council position

13. Second reading
• Propose amendments to the Council
position
– The Council has 3 months to act.
If the Council approves all Parliament's
• The act is adopted
If the Council does not accept all Parliament's amendments:
• Start the Conciliation procedure

14. Conciliation and third reading
• A conciliation committee is called. There are:
Representatives of the 27 Member States.
Equal number of Members of the European
Parliament.
• The committee considers
The Council position
Parliament’s amendments from the second
reading
o It has six weeks

15. It may:
If the conciliation If the conciliation
committee does not agree committee approves the
with the text. joint text
The Council and
The procedure is Parliament have six
terminated weeks to approve it.
It is aproved

16. CONSULTATION

17. Consultation
• Is used in areas such as
agriculture, taxation and competition
• There are a proposal from the Commission
• The Council consults:
– Parliament,
– The European Economic and Social Committee
– The Committee of the Regions.

18. Consultation
Parliament approve the
Commission reject it, or
ask for
may: amendments.
proposal,
If Parliament Commission will
send the Council
consider all the If it not acept
asks for changes suggestions
an amended
proposal.
amendments suggests.
which either
The decision
adopts the or amends it
Finally ultimately rests
amended further.
with the Council
proposal

19. THE ASSENT

20. The assent
• Means that the Council has to obtain the
European Parliament’s assent
– Because there are very important decisions
• The procedure is the same as in the case of
consultation but:
– Parliament cannot amend a proposal, they can:
• accept
• reject it

21. The assent
• The assent procedure is mostly used
–for agreements with other
countries
• including the agreements
allowing new countries to join
the EU.