In the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
, a cabinet (the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
pronunciation, ''cab-ee-nay'', is used) is the personal office of a
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each member within the Commission holds a specific portfolio. The commission is led by the President of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent ...
. The role of a cabinet is to give political guidance to its Commissioner. Members of a cabinet are equivalent, within UK Government nomenclature, to a
special adviser or "SPAD". Technical policy preparation is handled by the
European Civil Service
The European Civil Service is a generic term applied to all staff serving the institutions and agencies of the European Union (EU). Although recruitment is sometimes done jointly, each institution is responsible for its own internal structures a ...
. The term is not to be confused with the European Commission's top decision making-body known in EU-lexicon, as the
"College of Commissioners" (referred to in most political systems as a
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
).
Composition
The Commissioner's cabinets are seen as the real concentration of power within the Commission and consist of six members, but the exact membership faces restrictions. Two must be women, no more than three can be of the same nationality as the Commissioner and it must also reflect the Union's regional diversity. However the exact make up does change throughout the Commissioner's term. The head member is known by its
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
translation: ''
Chef de Cabinet''.
Special chefs
''Special chefs'' are a meeting of a member of each cabinet (for a certain area), the
legal service and the
secretariat general. They perform last minute preparations to proposed laws before they go before the
College of Commissioners
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
, but they are a "political equivalent of a
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are app ...
" with a great degree of
cloak and dagger
"Cloak and dagger" was a fighting style common in the Renaissance involving a knife hidden beneath a cloak. The term later came into use as a metaphor, referring to situations involving intrigue, secrecy, espionage, or mystery.
Overview
In "The ...
work.
The most "special" of these is the group for inter-institutional relations (formerly Parliamentary affairs) as it provides the Commission with an early warning on what the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the Legislature, legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven Institutions of the European Union, institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and in ...
is thinking - before it rejects the Commission's proposals. The most astute civil servants get sent to these meetings.
The heads of cabinets meet weekly in the "
Hebdo" - the most important meeting of European Civil Servants who direct the work of the Commission and the Commissioners.
[Eppink, 2007, p.136]
See also
*
European Civil Service
The European Civil Service is a generic term applied to all staff serving the institutions and agencies of the European Union (EU). Although recruitment is sometimes done jointly, each institution is responsible for its own internal structures a ...
*
Secretariat-General of the European Commission
The Secretariat-General (SG) is a service department of the European Commission. The SG is based in the Berlaymont in Brussels (Belgium). The SG supports the whole of the Commission, and in particular the 27 Commissioners. The head of the SG is t ...
*
Directorate-General for Legal Service (European Commission)
References
Inline citations
General references
*
External links
President's cabinet
{{Eu-directorates-general
Civil Service of the European Union
European Commission