The European Union Law Overview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The European Union Law Overview - Essay Example The essay "The European Union Law Overview" presents the analysis of the European Union structure and also its decision-making process. The Council of Ministers operates clandestinely and its functions, which are influenced by national and transnational parties, lack transparency and accountability. Decision-making is determined by qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers is the most powerful institution in the European Union and comprises of envoys from the Member States of the EU. The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers enact the EU’s legislation. The Council decides issues either by qualified majority voting or by unanimity. Its presidency has a rotating tenure of six months. Although it does not formally comprise a component of the EU system, it has emerged as the cardinal institution of the EU. It organizes meetings between the heads of state and the representatives of the European Commission. Unlike the Council, the European Parliament is a supranational institution. The Council of Ministers has been accorded the status of the principal legislative body by the Treaties of the EU. Its importance stems from the fact that it constitutes the final decision-making authority. In the process of making policies, the Council relies on other institutions for assistance and direction. The EU is a novel political institution, consisting of intergovernmental elements in some issues, supranational in administrative matters and transnational in most domains.