« What does the European Commission do? » E-Print by Giuseppe Ciavarini Azzi
A new European Commission is formed whenever a Parliamentary election is held. The two
institutions have a five-year mandate, and Commission members are elected within six
months after their counterparts in the Parliament. Unlike many States’ executive branches,
which reflect the national Parliamentarian majority and rely upon it, the European
Commission does not emanate from the European Parliament. The latter, however, has a real
impact on this institution’s membership.
According to the treaty currently in force—the EC Treaty as amended by the Treaty of Nice—
the President of the Commission is appointed by the European Council, acting by qualified
majority, but this designation must be approved by the European Parliament…Read the entire paper.