Mirschberger, Michael --- "Who Leads the EU? Competences, Rivalry and a Role for the President of the European Council, the High Representative" [2012] ELECD 511; in Trybus, Martin; Rubini, Luca (eds), "The Treaty of Lisbon and the Future of European Law and Policy" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012)

Book Title: The Treaty of Lisbon and the Future of European Law and Policy

Editor(s): Trybus, Martin; Rubini, Luca

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9780857932556

Section: Chapter 1

Section Title: Who Leads the EU? Competences, Rivalry and a Role for the President of the European Council, the High Representative

Author(s): Mirschberger, Michael

Number of pages: 19

Extract:

1. Who leads the EU? Competences,
rivalry and a role for the President of
the European Council, the High
Representative of the Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
the Presidency of the Council and the
President of the European
Commission
Michael Mirschberger

1. INTRODUCTION
By the 1st of December 2009, the European Union (EU) had developed a
new structure. In addition to important new provisions and rights ­
especially regarding the competences of the European Parliament ­ the
most apparent change seems to be the introduction of new leading posi-
tions as cornerstones of the architecture of the European legal and political
system. In response to these changes, this chapter analyses the legal struc-
ture and competences of the new established President of the European
Council (PEC) and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy (HR) with regard to the corresponding provi-
sions of the TEU and the TFEU. Furthermore, this analysis will compare
these new leading positions1 to the previously existing and remaining
positions of the Presidency of the Council and the President of the
European Commission, and thus assess them concerning their powers in
the political system of the Union. Finally, the chapter will elucidate the

1
Although there has been already a predecessor for the HR of the Amsterdam
Europe, the HR of the Lisbon Treaty does deviate so far from the former position
that one has to talk of a new position entirely.

15
16 The Treaty of Lisbon and the future ...