How does the EU pass new laws?

This video gives a short yet comprehensive explanation of the regular yet complicated way new EU law is made (the Ordinary Legislative Procedure). It sheds a simplified light on the process as a whole, the main actors and some of the possible complications.

For more information on the EU and its institutions please subscribe to our channel.

In this series we explain complex aspects of the EU in a comprehensive and understandable way. If however, despite our diligence and help of Dr. Jan Oster, we have left something out or made a mistake, please be so kind to tell and forgive us.

--------------------------------------------------

With Ciceroni we seek to be a guide to European culture and history. We make videos on little known subjects as well as more ubiquitous ones, ranging from current affairs like the European Union, to historic events like the Tulip Mania, and even mythological stories like those of the Greek Gods. In all these videos we strive to present the subjects in a objective manner and within their complex context.

[francescob.]

As a eu law student, this video was really well made. Kudos

[foorack]

Well done. You deserve more views. The video was really informative.

[Simon-luse]

Needed a recap on the EU and this was perfect. Maybe you could do something similar but with the UN instead after this series is done. Thank you for the informative video and you have gotten yourself a new subscriber.

[evilmurlock]

I love the EU, its like a mini UN, except it works, it is like a less chaotic HRE, except it works, it is like a less united USA, except it works

[scuffedteddy]

Thanks im studying for an EU test and have ADD and dyslexia which makes it hard to just sit down and read books so when there are informative videos that can help a lot. thanks <3

[vasileiosmigkos]

This is so helpful. It should be included in the school curricula. Well done!

[kraska]

As other in the comment section, I am also a law student and this really helped. Thank you! Subscribed.

[JeroenDoes]

This is really helpfull for my studies. Im reading the book ofcourse but this is a nice recap to refresh the information

[lunaguernoun]

Very informative . Thank you for explaing such a complicated process in a few minutes.Well done. !!

[tensaishounen]

Reading comments below gave me all sorts of illnesses... How come this is not democratic? Remember, council members and parliament MEPs come from your own countries, with the parliament members VOTED BY YOU. It is a form of indirect democracy, albeit with less democracy than in nation scale. The complicated process ensure that new laws are benefiting the majority AND not having severe negative effects on any particular member. As someone who lives in a country with rampant corruption and inept politicians, EU is a vastly superior system. Do not drown in the word democracy.

[GLASSMOSCOWANDBEIJING]

Thanks for making this video dude, just started my EU law course at uni like 2 weeks ago and I have been looking for videos about it to at least make studying it less boring than just reading stuff on kortext

[luukscholten]

Thanks for this quick recap! Definitely gonna be helpful during my next exam :)

[ghibli]

you make this so easy. please upload more on the eu!

[simonvavra]

a GREAT and simple video about something really complicated and by reading ununderstandable. This is a precious gem and I think the EU should make a law that every EU citizen becoming an adult should once see it! ;)

[lexxerding]

The EU construction is indeed complicated but in essence it does pretend to bring justice and democracy for its people.
However I am highly eurocritical, because there are two big problems:

1 - the EU is overly burocratic.
In great part this is because most of the people, representatives and politicians still think way TOO NATIONALISTIC instead of in a collective European sense. So all the nitti-witty exceptions of each country have to be taken in account for every nitty-witty decision. When you have lived in three different European countries like me and actually do not suffer any nationalistic preference anymore (yes, I consider it a disease), you see and understand that all that nationalistic nitty-wittying is shortsighted and stupid, and not only reduces overall benefit, but in the end also your own little nationalistic benefit.

but much worse is
2 - Corruption!
Although in politically correct terms "they" call it 'lobbying'.
Here is where the politically and socially good intentions of the EU institutions are completely bought away by big business, industry and, of course, banks.
Here is where the 'market' becomes more important than people.
Here is where austerity on all European citizens has to finance basically German and French banks that should have gone default.
Here is where oil industry smashes CO2 reduction and other green goals.
Here is where TTIP and Monsanto (now Bayer) have tried to impose their own laws.
Here is where farmaceutical industry is able to impose vaccination obligations for whole countries.
Here is where the Netherlands and Luxemburg can maintain their top positions as Tax Havens (Juncker becoming EU president after having 'improved' Luxemburgs position as tax haven)
Here is where arms industrie supports Unitedstatian wars in arab countries causing the immigration 'problem', which in fact is not a problem but a symptom. (everybody should stop using the name of the continent for those people)
It's all about money and power.

If lobbying didn't happen, then Europa could truly be that Community the European citizens dream of. The existing EU is not a "Union" for the people, it is only for big business, banks and buyable politicians. It doesn't have anything to do with the original European Dream.

Solution?
Instead of cowardly running away from this high level maffia, like some countries pretend, we, the people have to go in there and CHANGE it! Politicians make people believe that as a country alone they stand stronger against the power of big business. Yeah.... sure! This is either a mistake or a lie.
If you are eurocritic with some sense, you don't "just forget about it", you go and SOLVE it. At least you try!

I am not here to make political propaganda so no names or references, but anyone who is seriously interested in making a better Europa instead of having it fall apart look around and investigate, there are good options and you still have time to find a good choice for the EU elections in may 2019!

[Kwb]

The democratic deficit exists by extension. At the UK domestic level it's (in no order) citizen, MP, Parliament, Lords + Government. There's the deep well of civil servants too. Adding the EU level, including the UK process (in no order) we have citizen, MP, Parliament, Lords + Government, MEP, EU Parliament, Council of Ministers, Commission, EU Council and the secretariat working behind the scenes. That's further extending the connection we have between public and policy making and the idea that such mechanisms can accurately represent 500m people is a little far-fetched.

I've seen some people mention that the EU process is a protective and thoroughly preferable system to one of more direct democratic leanings. In all but saying so, they're admitting that they're happy for state mechanisms to do their thinking for them, and that the people around them shouldn't be trusted to hold an opinion. A bizarrely arrogant statement. If the EU system is what you like, then sure, enjoy. But there's nothing wrong with wanting to unhook yourselves from this somewhat esoteric system of inter-connected bodies either.

[wernherrSpaceshipEarth]

The laws that have already been passed must first be enforced before new laws can be enacted.
The fundamental right to privacy.
Most citizens do not even have privacy in their own homes
This leads to states of exhaustion and not infrequently to sleeping pills and alcohol abuse.
Apartments without Soundproof also endanger democracy.
"Without privacy there is no democracy"

[jasonkingshott]

Names of the people who make the laws (accountability) and how does the EU electorate democratically get rid of these people they don't like (democracy)?

[iustinianconstantinescu]

2:37 So can Parliament reject it immediately, or does it have to wait until the end? And also, what are the simplifications? And can the institutions at 1:36 and the citizens' initiative bypass the Commission? Thanks in anticipation for the answer.

[vel_rouge]

How can you find out where in this process a specific proposal is? For example the European Commission proposed changes to updated requirements for driving licences and better cross-border enforcement of road traffic rules (press release 01/03/2023 IP_23_1145). I'd like to follow this in some way as it goes through the European Parliment and European Council. How do I do that?