What the Commission does
The European Commission has four main roles:
1. to propose legislation to the Parliament and the Council;
2. to manage and implement EU policies and the budget;
3. to enforce European law (jointly with the Court of Justice);
4. to represent the Union around the world.
1. PROPOSING NEW LEGISLATION Under the EU Treaty, the Commission has the ‘right of initiative’. In other words, the Commission alone is responsible for drawing up proposals for new European legislation, which it presents to the Parliament and the Council. These proposals must aim to defend the interests of the Union and its citizens, not those of specific countries or industries.
Before making any proposals, the Commission must be aware of new situations and problems developing in Europe and must consider whether EU legislation is the best way to deal with them. That is why the Commission is in constant touch with a wide range of interest groups and with two advisory bodies — the European Economic and Social Committee (made up of employers’ and trade union representatives) and the Committee of the Regions (made up of representatives of local and regional authorities). It also seeks the opinions of national parliaments, governments and the public at large.
The Commission will propose action at EU level only if it considers that a problem cannot be solved more efficiently by national, regional or local action. This principle of dealing with things at the lowest possible level is called the ‘subsidiarity principle’.
If, however, the Commission concludes that EU legislation is needed, then it drafts a proposal that it believes will deal with the problem effectively and satisfy the widest possible range of interests. In order to get the technical details correct, the Commission consults the experts who make up its various committees and expert groups.