The European Constitution and its impact on decision making procedures within the EU

Abstract

This dissertation aims to be the ground work for other studies to be undertaken in the future by other students within the ambit of Decision-Making Procedures and the EU Constitution's impact on such processes. Its goal is that of spurring discussion about such a sensitive topic, which will rise in the future especially after the new Constitution will be enforced i.e. in 2007. Therefore, in this dissertation one finds a detailed description of how all the institutions together with their different mechanisms, work in order to help them make decisions in every sector that the EU is entitled to deal with. Thus, Chapter 1 gives a very brief outline of the initiation of the European Union. One can confidently say that in this chapter, a brief history is drawn up as to how the EU came about and how the first 'Member States' became the backbone of what is known today as the 'European Union'. Also included in this chapter is a short analysis of the main European institutions which are the main decision-making bodies within the Union. Chapter 2 begins with a detailed explanation of the differences between decision-making procedures; at the National and the European Level. Within this ambit there is particular reference to decision-making procedures in Malta and the UK. After referring to these two European Member States, which most Maltese citizens can relate to, it is then preceded by a detailed report on the decision-making procedure at the European Union level; which involved tackling the Council and the Council of Ministers. These institutions are of great importance due to the fact that, they play very important roles in the decision-making process. After referring to their composition and their role in the decision-making procedures, there is also a clear on look at how these institutions will change with the accession of the Constitution. Chapter 3 is a whole chapter solely dedicated to the European Commission. The Commission is another institution involved with the EU' s decision-making procedures. ·This chapter also goes through the making of the Commission and its evolution through the years. This chapter also makes particular reference to the removal of the Commission, further more in this chapter there is a reference as to how the Commission works both at the National and at the EU level; and its prospects of change with the ratification of the Constitution. Chapter 4 deals with the European Parliament which is another institution dealing with the decision-making procedures within the European Union. Due to the fact that the EP is a very vast and populated institution, in this chapter there has been a thorough explanation of the actual political party system found within the EP and also particular reference to national governments and their representatives. Ultimately in this chapter there is also a definition of how the European Parliament was created and changed from what was known as the 'assembly' and how it transformed to becoming the present European Parliament and last but not least, how the Constitution is said to change the operation and role of this large Institution. In the final chapter, there is a summing up of what; in general, the Constitution is expected to change within the EU as a whole. There is a profound discussion as to what measures the EU and its institutions are meant to take in order to make the European Union a more efficient Community; to help it reduce the democratic deficit often caused by differing opinions, and the enlargements; which although are the making of such a Union are also the instruments which make the EU need a change of governance. Thus, one can say that this brought about the final decision for the need of drafting a Constitution for Europe; which in turn is expected to make the EU a stronger economic and political 'bloc', due to the expected result of a better inner bond between the EU' s institutions and their fellow Member States.