- Map of Europe
- About the Authors
- About the Book
- New to this Edition
- Acknowledgements
- Guided Tour of Textbook Features
- Guided Tour of the Online Resources
- Late News Page
- Part One Theory
- 1. Theories of European Integration
- 2. Theories of EU Governance
- 3. Theorizing Consequences
- 4. Critical Perspectives
- Part Two History
- 5. From the End of the War to the Schuman Plan (the Late 1940s to the Early 1950s)
- 6. The ‘Other’ European Communities and the Origins of the European Economic Community (the Early 1950s to the 1960s)
- 7. The First Years of the European Economic Community (the 1960s and into the 1970s)
- 8. The Revival of European Integration (the Mid-1970s to the Late 1980s)
- 9. Maastricht and Amsterdam (the Late 1980s to the Late 1990s)
- 10. From Amsterdam to Lisbon (2000–09)
- 11. The EU in Crisis (2009–19)
- Part Three Institutions
- 12. The Institutional Architecture
- 13. The European Commission
- 14. The European Council and the Council of the European Union (EU)
- 15. The European Parliament
- 16. The Court of Justice of the European Union
- 17. Organized Interests
- Part Four Policies
- 18. Policy Making and Policies in the European Union
- 19. The Single Market
- 20. Economic and Monetary Union
- 21. Agriculture
- 22. Environment and Climate
- 23. Freedom, Security, and Justice
- 24. Trade and Development Aid
- 25. Common Foreign and Security Policy
- 26. Enlargement
- References
- Glossary
- Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Chronology
- General Index
- Author Index
(p. 238) 13. The European Commission
- Chapter:
- (p. 238) 13. The European Commission
- Author(s):
Simon Bulmer
, Owen Parker
, Ian Bache
, Stephen George
, and Charlotte Burns
- DOI:
- 10.1093/hepl/9780198820635.003.0013
This chapter examines the European Commission’s functions and structure, along with its role in policy making. The Commission initiates legislation, may act as a mediator, manages some policy areas, is guardian of the Treaties, is a key actor in international relations, and the ‘conscience of the European Union’. The chapter proceeds by discussing the debate on the extent to which the Commission is an autonomous political actor or simply an agent of the member states. Finally, it analyses the increasing challenges faced by the Commission in securing effective implementation of EU policies and its response to concerns over its financial management of EU programmes.
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- Map of Europe
- About the Authors
- About the Book
- New to this Edition
- Acknowledgements
- Guided Tour of Textbook Features
- Guided Tour of the Online Resources
- Late News Page
- Part One Theory
- 1. Theories of European Integration
- 2. Theories of EU Governance
- 3. Theorizing Consequences
- 4. Critical Perspectives
- Part Two History
- 5. From the End of the War to the Schuman Plan (the Late 1940s to the Early 1950s)
- 6. The ‘Other’ European Communities and the Origins of the European Economic Community (the Early 1950s to the 1960s)
- 7. The First Years of the European Economic Community (the 1960s and into the 1970s)
- 8. The Revival of European Integration (the Mid-1970s to the Late 1980s)
- 9. Maastricht and Amsterdam (the Late 1980s to the Late 1990s)
- 10. From Amsterdam to Lisbon (2000–09)
- 11. The EU in Crisis (2009–19)
- Part Three Institutions
- 12. The Institutional Architecture
- 13. The European Commission
- 14. The European Council and the Council of the European Union (EU)
- 15. The European Parliament
- 16. The Court of Justice of the European Union
- 17. Organized Interests
- Part Four Policies
- 18. Policy Making and Policies in the European Union
- 19. The Single Market
- 20. Economic and Monetary Union
- 21. Agriculture
- 22. Environment and Climate
- 23. Freedom, Security, and Justice
- 24. Trade and Development Aid
- 25. Common Foreign and Security Policy
- 26. Enlargement
- References
- Glossary
- Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Chronology
- General Index
- Author Index
