1. What are the three main institutions of the European Union and what is their role?
The European Union functions through an “institutional triangle” born with the Treaties of Rome in 1957. These three institutions work together to propose, amend and adopt European laws.
The European Commission is the EU’s driving force. Composed of 27 commissioners (one per country) led by Ursula von der Leyen since 2019, it proposes European laws and ensures their implementation. It defends the general European interest and can sanction a state that does not respect the rules.
The European Parliament directly represents citizens. Its 720 members, elected every 5 years, group themselves by political affinity rather than nationality. They examine and vote on proposed laws during plenary sessions in Strasbourg, approximately once a month.
The Council of the European Union, also called the “Council of Ministers,” brings together ministers from the 27 member countries by area (agriculture, environment, economy…). It decides on legal texts after Parliament and can modify, adopt or reject them. Its presidency changes every 6 months.
2. What is the difference between the Council of the European Union and the European Council?
These two institutions have relatively similar names but very different roles.
The Council of the European Union (or “Council of Ministers”) brings together ministers from member countries according to their area of competence. They meet about a hundred times a year to concretely adopt European laws.
The European Council brings together the heads of state and government of the 27 countries at least twice per semester. These “European summits” define the EU’s major political orientations and set priorities for European construction. Having become an official institution in 2009 with the Treaty of Lisbon, it provides the necessary impetus for the Union’s development.
3. How are European laws voted on?
European laws take the form of “directives” or “regulations” and are adopted according to the “ordinary legislative procedure,” which places the European Parliament and the EU Council on an equal footing.
The proposal can come from the European Commission, from Parliament requesting the Commission to propose a text, or even from one million European citizens via the European Citizens’ Initiative.
The first and second reading:
Parliament examines and amends the proposal, then the Council does the same. If the Council approves Parliament’s version, the text is adopted. Otherwise, it goes back for a second reading to Parliament, which can accept, reject or modify it again. The Council then examines this new version: if it approves, it’s adopted, otherwise it goes to conciliation.
Conciliation:
Representatives from Parliament and the Council, assisted by the Commission, attempt to find a compromise. If this is impossible, the text is rejected. Otherwise, it goes to a third reading.
The third reading:
If the compromise is unanimous, the text is adopted. Otherwise, it is definitively rejected.
4.Who proposes laws at the European level and why can't we vote directly on texts as citizens?
The European Commission is the institution responsible for proposing laws. But it can be invited to do so by the European Council, the EU Council, the European Parliament or even by citizens via a European Citizens’ Initiative that has gathered one million signatures.
As European citizens, our main power lies in European elections: every 5 years we elect Members of the European Parliament who examine and vote on laws on our behalf. It is a system of representative democracy: we place our trust in parliamentarians who defend our interests at the European level. This is why every vote counts in European elections.
5. What is the role of lobbies in drafting European laws?
Lobbying is a legal activity that consists of influencing public decisions to defend interests, whether private or of general interest. About 50,000 lobbyists currently work in Brussels.
Lobbies intervene throughout the legislative process to try to steer laws in one direction or another. For example, Surfrider’s lobbyists, as Ocean defenders, push for laws to be more ambitious in terms of marine protection.
They represent a valuable source of expertise for European parliamentarians and officials. Before making a decision, institutions consult various actors: lobbies, citizens, European bodies… This activity is framed by an interinstitutional agreement and a code of conduct, particularly in the European Parliament.
6. What is the difference between a European regulation and directive?
The European Union adopts different types of legislative acts depending on its objectives.
Regulations are directly applicable in all member countries as soon as they enter into force. They must be applied in their entirety, without need for transposition into national law. They immediately create rights and obligations for citizens.
Directives set objectives to be achieved, but each country remains free to develop its own measures to achieve them. They are binding as to the result, but leave room for maneuver on the means. For example, the SUP (Single Use Plastic) directive sets objectives for reducing single-use plastic, then each country takes the measures it deems necessary to achieve them.
7. How does a European directive become a law in my country?
Once a directive is adopted at the European level, member states have a period of 6 months to 2 years to “transpose” it, that is, integrate it into their national legislation.
States are free to adapt, add or specify certain measures, provided they respect the objective set by the directive and are truly binding. In France, transposition can be done through a government act or through a law voted on by the National Assembly and the Senate.
In principle, a directive only produces effects once transposed, but the Court of Justice of the European Union has identified certain cases where a non-transposed directive can produce effects directly.
8. How long does it take between voting on a European law and its application in member countries?
The timeframe depends on the type of legislative act adopted.
For a regulation, application is immediate: it applies directly in all member states from its entry into force date, without need for transposition.
For a directive, member states have a period of 6 months to 2 years (specified in the text) to transpose it into their national legislation. Only after this transposition does the directive fully produce its effects, even though the European Court of Justice has recognized certain direct effects before transposition in particular cases.
9. What are the main European texts that protect the Ocean and coastline?
The European Union manages the world’s largest collective maritime area with 25 million km² of exclusive economic zones. 22 of the 27 member countries have a maritime coastline, representing approximately 70,000 km of coasts and 40% of the population living less than 50 km from the sea.
The EU alone has decision-making power over the management of biological marine resources (such as fish stocks), while protection of the marine environment falls under shared responsibility between the EU and member states.
Here are some texts in force whose main (or underlying for some) objective is the protection of the Ocean and aquatic ecosystems:
The Nature Restoration Law, which requires restoring 90% of degraded environments by 2050, including 20% of marine environments.
The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which aims to better manage fish resources in the face of the threat of overfishing, while preserving the sector’s competitiveness.
The Maritime Spatial Planning Framework Directive (MSPFD) establishes a framework for planning maritime activities and managing European coastal areas.
The Single Use Plastic Directive (SUP) which prohibits placing many single-use plastic items on the market to limit marine waste.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) which harmonizes packaging rules and sets reduction targets to promote the circular economy.
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) which aims to maintain or restore the proper functioning of marine ecosystems.
The Water Framework Directive (WFD) which sets the objective of achieving good general water status by 2027.
The European Pact for the Oceans which brings together all policies affecting the ocean and sets ambitious objectives: halving plastic pollution before 2030 and restoring 20% of European marine ecosystems.
Finally, the International Treaty on High Seas Protection (BBNJ), on a more global scale, strengthens the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by providing tools adapted to high seas challenges (better protection of these spaces (creation of marine protected areas), strengthened oversight of risky human activities, and establishment of a system for access to marine genetic resources and benefit sharing).
10. How can I follow and influence European decisions concerning the Ocean as a citizen?
Several means of action are available to you:
Vote, particularly in European elections. Even if the link may seem indirect, this is your main lever of influence on European decisions.
Engage with or support associations like Surfrider, which make the Ocean’s voice heard locally in several European countries and at the European level through their lobbying division, whose proposals are based on field data, particularly that collected during Ocean Initiatives.
Propose laws through European Citizens’ Initiatives, sign petitions, participate in collective actions such as waste collection or demonstrations.
Every action counts to protect the Ocean and influence European policies in its favor.