these last have never been as effective in the legislative work notes the study

In 2004, when the European Union has integrated 10 new members, realizing the biggest enlargement in its history, the observers did not expensive skin: governed by the Treaty of Nice, the institutions would soon paralyze under the weight of the number and complexity of the rules of the game, blocking the process of integration... If crisis today, it cannot be attributed to a malfunctioning of the Union to 25, according to the study by the Observatory of European (OIE) of Sciences Po (1) institutions. It shows data quantitative in support, that "enlargement does not result, so far, by a blockade of the European machine" and that "the Union to twenty-five has not ceased to operate."

At first glance, but it is doubtful these findings: comparison of activity of each institution key to EU Commission, Council, Parliament, Court of justice before and after enlargement, indicates that the number of instruments adopted by the Union (the Council alone or with the Parliament) has decreased: from 336 (from January 2003 to April 2004) to 220 (of May 2004 to December 2005). But several factors explain this phenomenon: first steps of a new legislature (the elections were held in June 2004), which are traditionally associated with a low legislative activity, the establishment of a new Commission, then the will to "less regulation", finally willing to approve texts prior to the arrival of ten new members largely explain that the year 2005 was a hollow after the peak in 2004.

Enhanced dialogue

That said, and it is the newest phenomenon observed, decisions, when they are taken, are faster in the Union than before. Thus, the average duration between transmission of a draft text by the Commission and the adoption of this text to the Council was reduced from 459 days at 331, or gain time by more than 25. After enlargement, note the study, the average length of procedure unanimously is virtually identical to that of decisions subject to majority voting (for example, in the areas of security and immigration). Explanation: the dialogue between the institutions strengthened between the Parliament and the Council, "promoting an early adoption of texts, at the end of the first reading. In 2005, 64 of the texts have been adopted at first reading, compared to 45 in 2004 and 21 in 2002. "So that all the conditions were met for a deterioration of relations between the institutions, (...)" "these last have never been as effective in the legislative work", notes the study. Even the Commission has accelerated the transmission of its legislative proposals: 4 days, it is passed to "less than 1".

This acceleration of proceedings reflected a common will to rationalization of the procedures in the absence of institutional reform, or a lowering of ambitions, relayed by a Commission which has shown "great caution in the exercise of the right of proposal" President Barroso, noted researchers at Sciences Po, has not hidden its desire to legislate less and better, or even to deregulate. The fact is that the number of proposals from the Commission dropped in 2005 to its historically low in 1999. In addition, there is always in 2005 a decrease in the rate of adoption of the proposals of the Commission by the Parliament and the Council: 32, against 44 in 2004 and 49 in 1999.

The final observation is thus contrasted with a more rapid adoption of the European rules, but a reduction of community activity. More back-up needed to determine which of these two phenomena will take precedence over the other.