History of the European Commission
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into History of the European Union. (Discuss) |
The European Commission was established the executive branch of the European Community in the 1960s.
Contents |
[edit] 1951-1967
The Commission originated in 1951 with the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community. Its administrative executive was the 9 member "High Authority", headed by a President. The first person to lead the Community was Jean Monnet, his administration set the foundation of the community.
In 1958, with the creation of two new communities, two sister bodies were established under the terms of the Treaties of Rome. These were the Commission of the European Economic Community and the Commission of the European Atomic Energy Community. The former of these two bodies is generally considered as the "direct ancestor" of the modern Commission, rather than the older High Authority, hence the Commission today recognises the EEC's Hallstein Commission as the first European Commission.
[edit] 1967-1985
The three bodies co-existed until 1 July 1967 where, by means of the Merger Treaty, the three bodies were combined into a single administration under President Jean Rey (See: Rey Commission). This body was called the "Commission of the European Communities".
The first 18 years of the merged Commission saw 6 administrations which oversaw the first enlargement in 1973 to Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom then in 1981 to Greece, this saw the Commission grow to 14 members. The European Exchange Rate Mechanism was also created along with the completion of the customs union member the members.
[edit] 1985-1994
The image above is proposed for deletion. See images and media for deletion to help reach a consensus on what to do.
The Delors Commission was the longest serving Commission and the only one to serve three terms. It was seen by many as the most successful and a bench mark by which others appear to be judged. President Jacques Delors, a Socialist and relatively unknown former French Minister, he became the 8th Commission President on 6 January 1985 and his third Commission stood down on the 22 January 1995.
Delors oversaw expansions to Spain, Portugal and East Germany (following the fall of the Iron curtain, which also started negotiations for the following enlargements - Copenhagen criteria), the development of the internal market, the beginnings of the Economic and Monetary Union (the process was based on the Delors Report), the inauguration of the European flag and the Single European Act.
Importantly, it was seen as transforming the Commission into an agenda setter with great influence, providing political direction, identifying big political ideas and objectives, and ways to achieve them. Indeed, the final Delors Commission ended with it seeing in the Treaty of Maastricht, founding the European Union. In 1992, as Delors' second term was coming to an end, the International Herald Tribune described the Delors Commissions as such[1];
| “ |
Mr. Delors rescued the European Community from the doldrums. He arrived when Europessimism was at its worst. Although he was a little-known former French finance minister, he breathed life and hope into the EC and into the dispirited Brussels commission. In his first term, from 1985 to 1988, he rallied Europe to the call of the single market, and when appointed to a second term he began urging Europeans toward the far more ambitious goals of economic, monetary and political union. |
” |
[edit] 1994-2004
In the decade of 1994 to 2004, the Santer Commission and the Prodi Commission each oversaw a major achievements in the Union's history - the introduction of the euro, 3 treaties and 2 enlargements - yet neither have won the praise the Delors Commission received.
Any achievements of the Santer Commission, for example the Amsterdam Treaty, were overshadowed by the allegations of fraud and mismanagement. Parliament threatened censure and the entire body resigned en mass on 15 March 1999, just a few months before they were due to leave office. An interim Commission, the Marín Commission, took over until President Prodi came to office on 13 September 1999.
This commission saw in increase in power and influence following Amsterdam Treaty. Some in the media described President Prodi as being the first "Prime Minister of the European Union".[2][3]
As well as the enlargement and Amsterdam Treaty, the Prodi Commission also saw the signing and enforcement of the Nice Treaty as well as the conclusion and signing of the European Constitution. From 1999 Prodi saw in the Euro and by 2002 it came into cash form and the single currency for 12 of the EU's 15 member states.
On 1 May 2004 10 new members joined, the largest enlargement in the Union's history. The Prodi Commission, for its final few months, expanded to 25 members. As the Prodi Commission prepared to leave office, the Parliament got ready to flex its powers over the Commission once more, as it had done with Santer. With rejection of Barroso's commission likely, the Prodi era was extended by 22 days while a more acceptable Commission was passed by the Parliament.
[edit] 2004-Present
On 22 November 2004 the first full post-enlargement Commission took office. It was 25 members strong. Previously the larger states (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) were allocated an extra Commissioner, however such a large Commission, with impending further enlargements, resulted in the Nice Treaty reducing the number of Commissioners to one per-state.
In 2007, the Commission oversaw another expansion to Romania and Bulgaria. Each of these countries were allocated a Commissioner each according to Article 45 of the protocol to the Accession Treaty of Bulgaria and Romania:
| “ |
A national of each new Member State shall be appointed to the Commission as from the date of accession. The new Members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Council, acting by qualified majority and by common accord with the President of the Commission, after consulting the European Parliament(...).[4] |
” |
Due to the Commission being the largest ever, jobs have become short and in order to maintain control, Barroso has adopted an increasingly Presidential style of government[5]. But during Barroso's time, he has seen through a number of pieces of legislation, most notably the Bolkestein Directive, the REACH directive and the roaming charges directive. In 2005 however, Barroso presided over the rejection of the Constitution by French and Dutch voters.
- Sources: European NAvigator, The new Commission - some initial thoughts
- See also: Historical European Commissioners, List of European Commissioners by nationality
[edit] List of commissions
European Atomic Energy Community –ECSC & Euratom merged with EEC in 1967 |
.jpg/100px-Jenkins_Commission_(EU).jpg)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ A Bit More Delors Could Revamp the Commission iht.com 21/01/92
- ^ Prodi to Have Wide, New Powers as Head of the European Commission iht.com 16/04/1999
- ^ Commentary: Romano Prodi: Europe's First Prime Minister? (int'l edition) Businessweek.com 1999
- ^ Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania, Official Journal L 157 of 21 June 2005
- ^ EU commission sees civil servants' power grow euobserver.com 22/02/07
