The European Council has met over 30 June 2019 to 2 July 2019 and future key EU appointments were considered. Prime Minister Theresa May attended on behalf of the UK.
The European Council plays an important role in certain appointment procedures for high profile EU level roles. In particular, it is responsible for:
- electing the President of the European Council
- proposing the President of the European Commission
- appointing the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
- officially appointing the entire body of Commissioners
- appointing the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB), including the ECB president
Electing the President requires a qualified majority.
The President holds the post for a 2.5 year term, renewable once.
Proposing the President of the European Commission - the process of choosing a nominee is supposed to take account of elections to the European Parliament. Once the EU Council has a nominee then the name is put to the European Parliament which has to approve the proposed candidate by a majority of its members (a minimum of 376 MEPs). If the European Council's candidate doesn't get a majority approval in the Parliament vote, the European Council has to propose a new candidate. This has to be done within a month of the failed vote in the Parliament. The European Parliament then uses the same procedure - majority vote of all MEPs - to approve the new proposed candidate. This procedure is set out in article 17 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).
The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is appointed by the EU Council. A qualified majority is required. The procedure is in article 18 of the TEU.
The EU Council also officially appoints the entire European Commission. The Parliament votes on the body of Commissioners - the Commission President, the high representative and the other Commissioners - using the consent method (majority of votes cast). Once the Parliament has given its consent, the European Council officially appoints the European Commission. The European Council's decision requires a qualified majority. This procedure is set out in article 17 of the TEU.
EU Council also appoints all 6 members of the European Central Bank's Executive Board. The procedure is in article 283 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU).
Charles Michel (age 53) as President of the
European Council for the period from 1 December 2019 to 31 May 2022. Michel is currently Prime Minister of Belgium. He studied law at Brussels and Amsterdam and is a member of the Brussels Bar.
Proposed Ursula von der Leyen (age 60) to the European Parliament as candidate for President of the
European Commission. A physician by profession, she has been a member of the German government since 2005 and Defence Minister since 2013.
Josep Borrell Fontelles (aged 72) was considered to be the
appropriate candidate for High Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy, subject to the agreement of the
President-elect of the Commission. A Spanish socialist politician, he is currently Spain's Foreign Minister and was President of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007.
Christine Lagarde was considered to be the
appropriate candidate for President of the European Central Bank,
subject to receiving the relevant recommendation and opinions in
accordance with the Treaties. Lagarde has been chair of the International Monetary Fund since 2011.
A possible problem:
Verfassungsblog - Kenneth Armstrong 4 July 2019 - Has the Spitezenkandidaten system failed and should we care?
EU Strategic Agenda:
On 20 June, the EU Council set the EU Strategic Agenda for 2019 to 2024.
EU Council Conclusions 20 June.
The strategic agenda focuses on four main priorities:
- protecting citizens and freedoms
- developing a strong and vibrant economic base
- building a climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe
- promoting European interests and values on the global stage
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