The European Union (EU) was established in the wake of the Second World War to promote peace, security, socioeconomic solidarity and other shared values among many diverse cultures. The resultant EU political system is unique in the world: a confederation of 27 countries operating in 23 official languages through a "supranational" system of governance, under which member countries delegate some of their decision-making powers to the following EU institutions:
Council of the EU: Voice of the Member States
The Council of Ministers (also known as the Council of the European Union, but unrelated to the Council of Europe) is comprised of elected officials or their delegates from the national governments from each of the 27 EU member states. Meetings are attended by whichever ministers are responsible for the issue at hand (e.g., discussions of the REACH chemicals regulation were co-led by industry and environment ministers). Each country has a number of votes in the Council broadly reflecting the size of its population. The Council presidency rotates among member states on a six-month basis.
Most EU legislation is a product of proposals made by the European Commission, which are then subject to amendment and joint adoption by the Council and the Parliament according to a "co-decision" procedure. The acts of the Council can take the form of regulations, directives, decisions, common actions or common positions, recommendations or opinions. The Council can also adopt conclusions, declarations or resolutions.
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The EU Legislative Process Using the REACH Chemicals Regulation as an Example
2001
2003
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5/7 – Public internet consultation
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9/25 – "Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)" published by Commission DG-Enterprise
2005
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9/24 – First reading of REACH Regulation by the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI); 1100+ amendments proposed
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11/17 – First reading by the full Parliament in plenary session; nearly 1000 ENVI amendments adopted
2006
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6/12 – Parliament text amended by Council of Ministers and new "Common Position" published
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10/10 – ENVI second reading; 350+ new amendments recommended to Common Position
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11/29 – Trilogue between Council Presidency, Parliament and Commission to work towards political agreement
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12/3 – Parliament second reading
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12/18 – Final Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 published in the Official Journal of the European Union
2007
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European Parliament: Voice of the People
The European Parliament is comprised of 785 elected officials from all 27 EU member countries. Its purpose is to represent the citizens of Europe in the establishment of EU-wide legislation and policy. The supranational structure of this institution permits Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to operate independently of purely national interests, instead aligning themselves with one of eight political groups, or operating as independents.
The Parliament's main function is to enact EU-wide legislation in cooperation with the Council of Ministers and the Commission. Plenary meetings of the full Parliament are held on a monthly basis in Strasbourg, France, while issue-oriented parliamentary standing committees and political groups meet more frequently in Brussels, Belgium. MEPs are also expected to spend several days each month in their respective constituencies.
European Commission & Agencies
The European Commission is an independent civil service with approximately 24,000 employees responsible for acting in the interests of Europe as a whole. Led by 27 Commissioners, each appointed by one of the EU’s member countries, the Commission is responsible for drafting proposals for new European laws, which are then presented to the European Parliament and the Council for approval and enactment.
The Commission is divided into a number of Directorate Generals (DGs), each of which is responsible for managing and/or providing technical support to different EU regulatory sectors. DGs with the greatest influence on the use of animals in laboratories are:
A critical adjunct to the policymaking function of the DGs is the practical implementation of EU policy and legislation, including the development of testing guidelines or related guidance concerning acceptable approaches to satisfying information requirements prescribed under EU legislation. In certain regulatory sectors, this implementation function is increasingly being performed by several independent Agencies, including;
- European Chemicals Agency
- European Food Safety Authority
- European Medicines Agency
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