Commission of the European Communities

Commission of the European Communities
Name	Commission of the European Communities
Formation	1958
Predecessor	High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community
Dissolution	2009 (replaced by European Commission)
Headquarters	Berlaymont building
Region served	European Community; later European Union
Leader title	President
Leader name	Jacques Delors; Walter Hallstein; Jean Rey; Gaston Thorn; Jacques Santer; Romano Prodi
Parent organization	European Communities

Commission of the European Communities was the executive institution of the European Communities from 1967 until its functions were subsumed under the European Union framework by 2009. It originated from post‑war integration efforts including the Treaty of Rome and the Schuman Declaration, evolving alongside the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community. Over five decades it interacted with institutions such as the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, the Court of Justice of the European Union and national administrations of member states like France, Germany, and Italy.

History

The Commission emerged after the 1951 Treaty of Paris (1951) which created the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community, and the 1957 Treaty of Rome establishing the European Economic Community and Euratom. Early leaders including Walter Hallstein and Jean Rey steered integration through initiatives linked to the Common Agricultural Policy, the Single European Act, and the Treaty of Maastricht. Institutional crises such as the Empty Chair Crisis and disputes with national executives prompted reforms culminating in the Delors Commission era and the creation of the European Union by the Treaty on European Union. Subsequent episodes—like the Santer Commission resignation and the Enlargement of the European Union (2004)—shaped accountability and transparency reforms reflected in later treaties such as the Treaty of Nice and the Treaty of Lisbon.

Structure and Membership

The Commission's composition mirrored supranational design: a college of commissioners appointed by member state governments and approved by the European Parliament. Presidents of the Commission—examples include Jacques Delors, Romano Prodi, Jacques Santer—set political direction and worked with Commissioner portfolios covering areas tied to treaties such as the Common Commercial Policy and competition law enforced alongside the Court of Justice of the European Union. Administrative headquarters in the Berlaymont building coordinated directorates‑general that interacted with agencies like the European Environment Agency and the European Medicines Agency. Staffing drew on civil servants from member states and seconded national experts from institutions such as the European Investment Bank and national ministries of United Kingdom (pre‑Brexit), Spain, and Poland.

Powers and Functions

The Commission held exclusive initiative in proposing legislation under treaty frameworks like the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, executed budgetary authority alongside the European Court of Auditors, and enforced European competition law against corporations such as Microsoft Corporation and Gazprom. It negotiated external agreements on behalf of the Communities in trade fora including the World Trade Organization and conducted state aid scrutiny referencing rulings of the European Court of Justice. Policy portfolios included trade negotiations with blocs like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners (indirectly), regulatory action in fields related to the Single Market, and stewardship of cohesion funds invested under programs like the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund.

Decision-Making and Procedures

Decision procedures combined collegiality in the college of commissioners with legal instruments such as regulations, directives, and decisions emanating from the Treaty of Rome architecture. Legislative proposals drafted by directorates‑general were subject to interinstitutional negotiations with the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament under procedures shaped by the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty. Competition investigations followed formal procedural steps culminating in remedies or fines; examples include high‑profile cases involving Intel Corporation and Google LLC adjudicated with reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Transparency measures after scandals led to oversight by ad hoc committees of the European Parliament and reporting to the European Court of Auditors.

Relationship with Other EU Institutions

The Commission acted as guardian of the treaties vis‑à‑vis the Council of the European Union which represented member states and the European Parliament which represented citizens. It submitted draft budgets later adopted by the European Parliament and executed through financial rules monitored by the European Court of Auditors. Judicial review by the Euroepan Court of Justice—Court of Justice of the European Union—shaped Commission powers, as in infringement proceedings against states such as Greece or Spain. Interaction with central banks occurred via the European Central Bank for economic coordination, and with advisory bodies like the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee.

Major Policies and Initiatives

Major initiatives advanced under the Commission umbrella included completion of the Single Market via the Single European Act, the development of the Common Agricultural Policy, and trade liberalisation through successive General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade rounds and the World Trade Organization accession processes. The Delors era emphasized European Monetary Union groundwork culminating in the Maastricht Treaty and coordination with the European Central Bank. Environmental regulation reflected directives influenced by the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement frameworks, while competition enforcement produced landmark decisions involving multinationals like Apple Inc. and Amazon (company). Enlargement negotiations with candidate states referenced the Copenhagen criteria and accession treaties with countries including Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

Category:European Communities