Negotiations in EU decision-making

international negotiations

EU negotiations

ScopeParticipants

Single Issue Multi-issue Wide scope

Bilateral Channel Tunnel Poland/Ukraine France/Germany

Restricted MultilateralEuropean Space

AgencyNordic Council

G7/8European Union

Extended MultilateralWorld Trade Organization

Council of Europe United Nations

Source: Wallace & Hayes-Renshaw, 2006

SettingIntensity

Weak rules Limited rules Strong rules

Occasional or time limited

Channel Tunnel

Medium frequencyPoland/Ukraine

Council of EuropeG7/8

Nordic CouncilWorld Trade Organization

Very frequent United NationsEuropean Space

AgencyEuropean Union

restricted multilateralwide scopevery frequentstrong rules

‘continuous negotiation’institutions

rules and norms

club

nationalcommunity

cleavagesissues

north-southeast-west

policy-driven (CAP)

community method

legislative acts

directivesregulationsdecisions

opinions & recommendations

EUROPEAN EUROPEAN COMMISSIONCOMMISSIONEUROPEAN EUROPEAN

COMMISSIONCOMMISSION

EUROPEAN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTPARLIAMENTEUROPEAN EUROPEAN

PARLIAMENTPARLIAMENT

COUNCICOUNCILL

COUNCICOUNCILL

LEGISLATIVELEGISLATIVEACTACT

LEGISLATIVELEGISLATIVEACTACT

stages of negotiation

preparationdecision

implementation

DG ENTR DG ENV preparation

decision

implementation

DG ENTR

commission

implementation

preparation

decision

committee industry committee environment

plenary

committee industry

comitology

preparation

working groupindustry

working groupenvironment

COREPER

council

decision

implementation comitology

vote

majority

majority

unanimitymajority

qualified majority

COUNCIL

COREPER

CSA

Working groups and special committees

Agenda:Agenda:Points A: AgreementPoints A: AgreementPoints B: NegotiationPoints B: Negotiation

Agenda:Agenda:Points I: AgreementPoints I: AgreementPoints II: NegotiationPoints II: Negotiation

Council’s procedure

Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)

Member States Votes

Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy 29

Spain and Poland 27

Romania 14

Netherlands 13

Greece, Czech Republic, Belgium, Hungary and Portugal 12

Sweden, Austria and Bulgaria 10

Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland and Lithuania 7

Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Cyprus and Luxembourg 4

Malta 3

QMV = 255Demographic verification = 62% of total EU populationBlocking minority = 91

345

multilevel networksmember states

council

council

parliament

parliament

commission

commissionEU institutions

pan-europeanorganizations

three pillars

EU

RO

PEA

NC

OM

MU

NIT

Y

I

CO

MM

ON

FO

REIG

N A

ND

SEC

UR

ITY P

OLI

CY

II

JUS

TIC

E A

ND

HO

ME A

FFA

IRS

IIIX

EU

RO

PEA

NC

OM

MU

NIT

Y

IC

OM

MO

N F

OR

EIG

N A

ND

SEC

UR

ITY P

OLI

CY

II

CFSP (!)