Who sits where, and how they get there
On the course: Leaving Cert Politics and Society topic 2 asks how the European Commission is selected, how the European Parliament is selected, and how the Council of the European Union is constituted.
Students mix these names up because several bodies use the word Council. Treat the Commission, Parliament and Council of the EU as the law-making trio. Keep the European Council and the Council of Europe off that list.
| Institution | Who sits there | How they get there | Main job |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Commission | One Commissioner from each member state | Proposed by national governments, approved as a college by the European Parliament | Proposes most EU laws and checks that states apply them |
| European Parliament | MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) | Directly elected by voters every five years. Ireland elects 14 MEPs | Passes most EU laws with the Council of the European Union |
| Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers) | The relevant minister from each member state's government. Irish ministers attend | Membership changes with the policy area. Agriculture ministers for farming, finance ministers for budgets | Co-legislates with the European Parliament. No single fixed membership |
| European Council | Heads of state or government. The Taoiseach attends for Ireland | National officeholders meet in this format; it has its own President | Sets political direction. Does not pass ordinary EU laws |
| Council of Europe | Member states of a separate international organisation. Ireland is a member | Outside the EU institutional system | Built around the European Convention on Human Rights. Do not treat it as part of the EU law-making trio |
Ireland elects its MEPs by PR-STV, the same transferable-vote system used for Dáil elections. That is why European election counts feel familiar if you have followed a general election.
How an EU rule reaches Ireland
Once the Parliament and Council adopt a measure, the form of the act decides what Ireland must do next. An EU directive still has to be written into Irish law. An EU regulation applies in Ireland without a new Irish Act. How EU law reaches Ireland covers that chain, including where TDs, Ministers and MEPs each sit in it.
Quick study check
- Who proposes most EU laws? The European Commission.
- Who passes most of them? The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, together.
- Who attends the European Council for Ireland? The Taoiseach.
- Is the Council of Europe an EU institution? No. It is a separate organisation linked to the European Convention on Human Rights.