European Commission (pre-Brexit)

European Commission (pre-Brexit)
Name	European Commission (pre-Brexit)
Formed	1958
Jurisdiction	European Union
Headquarters	Berlaymont, Brussels
Chief1 name	Jean-Claude Juncker
Chief1 position	President (2014–2019)

Contents

European Commission (pre-Brexit) The European Commission (pre-Brexit) was the supranational executive body of the European Union prior to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom under Brexit. It acted as the guardian of the Treaty of Rome, the Treaty of Maastricht, and subsequent treaties, proposing legislation to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and interacting with the European Council and the European Court of Justice.

History and Establishment

The Commission traces origins to the High Authority (European Coal and Steel Community), the Treaty of Paris, and the Treaty of Rome which created the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community. Foundational figures included Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, and signatories such as Paul-Henri Spaak and Konrad Adenauer, while early bodies interlinked with institutions like the Council of Europe and the OEEC. Throughout enlargement rounds—1973, 1981, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2007, 2013—the Commission adapted via treaty reforms including the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty, the Amsterdam Treaty, the Treaty of Nice, and the Treaty of Lisbon. Crises such as the European sovereign debt crisis and incidents involving Commissioners like Édith Cresson influenced institutional change and public perception.

Before Brexit, the Commission consisted of Commissioners nominated by member state governments including United Kingdom Commissioners, each allocated portfolios similar to ministries such as Competition, Trade, and External Relations. Presidents like Jacques Delors, Romano Prodi, José Manuel Barroso, and Jean-Claude Juncker shaped College composition and priorities. Commissioners required approval by the European Parliament and appointment by the European Council; vetting involved hearings with parliamentary committees including committees chaired by members aligned with groups such as the European People's Party, the Socialists and Democrats, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party. Key offices included the European Commissioner for Competition, the European Commissioner for Trade, and the European Commissioner for Enlargement, while Directorates-General such as DG Competition, DG Trade, and DG Enlargement staffed policy implementation alongside the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European External Action Service.

Under the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Commission held exclusive right of initiative to propose legislation to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, enforcement powers to bring cases before the European Court of Justice, and executive responsibilities to implement Common Agricultural Policy schemes and administer funds like the Cohesion Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. It negotiated external agreements on behalf of the European Union with partners including the United States, China, Japan, and accession candidates such as Turkey and the Western Balkans. Enforcement actions involved Directorate-Generals, Commissioners, and coordination with bodies like the European Central Bank during financial stabilization involving states such as Greece and Portugal.

The Commission drafted proposals following policy programs set by the European Council and political priorities of its President—often encapsulated in annual Work Programmes—then submitted proposals to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union under ordinary legislative procedure formerly called co-decision. Interinstitutional negotiations used mechanisms including trilogues, impact assessments referencing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development analyses, and subsidiarity checks with national parliaments such as the House of Commons (UK). The Commission also issued delegated acts and implementing acts subject to oversight by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, and coordinated with agencies like the European Medicines Agency and the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Relations involved complex balances: the Commission competed with member state prerogatives in areas of exclusive competence while cooperating with governments via the Council of the European Union and intergovernmental forums like the European Council summit. It worked alongside the European Parliament on democratic legitimacy and with the European Court of Justice on legal interpretation. The Commission engaged national administrations through Committee of the Regions, the European Committee of the Regions, and advisory bodies including the European Economic and Social Committee, and coordinated implementation of shared policies with national authorities in capitals such as Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Warsaw, and London.

Major initiatives included the completion of the Single Market via the Single European Act, competition enforcement exemplified by cases against firms like Microsoft and Google, the negotiation of trade agreements such as the CETA and EU–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, and crisis management during the 2008 financial crisis and the European migrant crisis. Policy portfolios covered Common Agricultural Policy, Cohesion Policy, Energy Union, Digital Single Market, Schengen Area administration, and enlargement negotiations with Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. The Commission launched flagship programs including Horizon 2020, the European Green Deal precursors, and initiatives on data protection culminating in the General Data Protection Regulation adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.