The EU's Decision Making Process Changes in the Constitutive Treaties

• Author: Andrei Calapod, Ani Matei
• Pages: 184-191

European Integration - Realities and Perspectives. Proceedings 2015

184

The EU’s Decision Making Process

Changes in the Constitutive Treaties

Andrei Calapod1, Ani Matei2

Abstract: Since the beginning of its existence in the form of communities, the European Union’s decision

making process underwent constant evolution. There were continuou s adjustments that transformed a pure

intergovernmental process into one having rather federal features. Based on the hypothesis that changes have

occurred at the decision level in regards to the actors, p rocedures, influence and ways of taking decisions in

order for the new realities, needs and will at the European level to be properly addressed, this paper aims to

present the reforms performed through the adoption of new treaties and the modification of the existing ones.

The reality is that in order for the European dream and integration to go on and also for further development

of the European Union, finally becoming an entity far beyond the founders expectations, decision makers had

to constantly and carefully adapt the decision making process. The purpose of this paper will be achieved by

conducting a research based on the qualitative method, analyzing the related researches on this topic and the

consolidated versions of the treaties. Thus, we will finally validate our research hypothesis that there was an

evolution in what the EU’s decision making process and decision procedures are concerned.

Keywords: European Union; decisions; procedures; evolution; adjustment

1. Introduction

This work presents the EU’s decision making process changes which have happened through the

enactment of the constitutive treaties and through their modifications in time.

It has been a long, complex and interesting process, a 60 years period of changes and continuous

adaptations of the decision making process to the new realities. As a result, we can speak now about

an entity, the European Union, completely different than the original communities and having

competences and attributions beyond the greatest expectations and projections of the founders.

Unlike the early period, when the main target was the joint management of the coal and steel resources

in order to avoid a new war in Europe, we can see now an economic, political and monetary entity and

an integration of the member states on all the three levels.

The growth in the member states number, the wish but also the need for a deeper integration, have

determined the evolution of the decision making process from intergovernmentalism to one driven by

the supranational institutions and seemingly having the features of a federal decision making.

1 PhD Candidate, National School of Political Studies and Public Administration (NSPSP A), Faculty of Public

Administration, Romania, Address: 6, Povernei Str., District 1, Bucharest, Romania, Tel./fax: +40213180897, Corresponding

author: andrei.calapod@gmail.com

2 Professor Univ. Dr., National School of Political Studies and Public Administration (NSPSPA) Faculty of Public

Administration, Romania, Address: 6, P overnei Str., District 1, Bucharest, Romania, Tel./fax: 0040213180897, E-mail:

amatei@snspa.ro.