Sök
Nominations for Members of the European Court of Auditors: Belgium and Finland
This briefing describes the treaty provisions and appointment procedure for ECA members at EU level. In addition, it provides information on the national nomination procedure for ECA members in Belgium and Finland and the countries’ candidates.
Spitzenkandidaten or the lead candidate process: Ways to Europeanise elections to the European Parliament
With the intention of informing discussion in the approach to the 2024 European elections, this study examines the historical, factual and legal aspects surrounding the Spitzenkandidaten, or lead candidate process, which establishes a political link between the nomination of the President of the European Commission and the political composition of the European Parliament. This study retraces the evolution of Parliament's role in the investiture of the President of the Commission, explains the reasons ...
Towards new rules for European elections?
In May 2022, the European Parliament adopted a draft legislative act proposing to repeal the 1976 European Electoral Act and replace it with a new Council regulation on the election of the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) by direct universal suffrage. The aim is to harmonise a number of rules applicable to European elections, which are currently a combination between the common principles under the European Electoral Act and the different national rules implementing them. Harmonisation would ...
Nominations for Members of the European Court of Auditors (Cyprus and Malta)
As set out in Article 285 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the European Court of Auditors (ECA) shall consist of one national of each Member State. Article 286 (2) TFEU further specifies that each Member State has the right to propose its candidate. The Council then adopts the list of Members as proposed by the Member States. Often, this is a partial renewal of the Court - only one or a few Members are appointed, as the mandates of the Members may expire at different ...
The European Council in 2019
The year 2019 provided a respite for the European Council from crisis management, but was not without major challenges. Three stood out: the Spitzenkandidaten process for selecting the next President of the European Commission; Brexit, which unexpectedly remained on the agenda of the European Council throughout the year; and policy towards climate change. The European Council had mixed feelings about the Spitzenkandidaten process, with one of its leading members being adamantly opposed. That set ...
Nomination of a Polish member of the European Court of Auditors
On 29 October 2020, the Polish government proposed the nomination of Marek Opioła, as a candidate for membership of the European Court of Auditors (ECA). There is currently no Polish member of the ECA, since Janusz Wojciechowski took office as European Commissioner on 1 December 2019. The European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) held a hearing with the nominee on 7 December, and subsequently delivered an unfavourable opinion. A vote in plenary is scheduled for the December plenary ...
Nominations for Members of the European Court of Auditors (Poland)
On the occasion of the nomination of a new Polish member for the Court of Auditors, this briefing describes the national nomination process and the roles of EP and Council.
Commitments made at the hearing of Mairead MCGUINNESS, Commissioner-designate - Financial services, financial stability and the Capital Markets Union
The Commissioner-designate, Mairead McGuinness, appeared before the European Parliament on 02 October 2020 to answer questions put by MEPs from the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. During the hearing, she made a number of commitments which are highlighted in this document. These commitments refer to her portfolio, as described in the mission letter sent to her by Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission and include Banking Union, Capital Markets Union and SMEs access ...
The von der Leyen Commission's priorities for 2019-2024
In her statements to the European Parliament in July and November 2019, as candidate for European Commission President and President-elect respectively, Ursula von der Leyen outlined the six political priorities that would shape the working programme of the European Commission over the next five years. While the former Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, had claimed to lead a 'political Commission', his successor, Ursula von der Leyen, has pledged to lead a 'geopolitical Commission'. Such ...
Commitments made at the hearing of Jutta URPILAINEN, Commissioner-designate - International Partnerships
The Commissioner-designate, Jutta Urpilainen, appeared before the European Parliament on 01 October 2019 to answer MEPs’ questions. During the hearing, she made a number of commitments which are highlighted in this document. These commitments refer to her portfolio, as described in the mission letter sent to her by Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission, including: Building sustainable partnerships.