Darbas:

problem cannot be solved more efficiently by national, regional or local action. This principle of dealing with things at the lowest possible level is called the ‘subsidiarity6 principle’.
________________________________________________________________________________
Enforce1 – versti, spausti, primesti
Initiative2 – iniciatyva, pradinis
Aware3 – žinantis, informuotas, suprantantis
Advisory4 – patariamasis, konsultacinis
Seek5 – ieškoti, stengtis, siekti
Subsidiarity6 – pagalbinis, šalutinis, papildomas


If, however, the Commission concludes that EU legislation is needed, then it drafts a proposal that it believes will deal with the problem effectively and satisfy the widest possible range of interests. To get the technical details right the Commission consults experts, via its various committees and groups.

2. Implementing EU policies and the budget
As the European Union's executive body, the Commission is responsible for managing and implementing the EU budget. Most of the actual spending is done by national and local authorities, but the Commission is responsible for supervising it – under the watchful eye of the Court of Auditors. Both institutions aim to ensure good financial management. Only if it satisfied with the Court of Auditors' annual report does the European Parliament grant the Commission discharge for implementing the budget.

The Commission also has to manage the policies adopted by Parliament and the Council, such as the Common Agricultural Policy. Another example is competition policy, where the Commission has the power to authorise or prohibit1 mergers between companies. The Commission also has to make sure that EU countries do not subsidise their industries in such a way as to distort competition.

Examples of EU programmes managed by the Commission range from the ‘Interreg’ and ‘Urban’ programmes (creating cross-border partnerships between regions and helping regenerate declining urban areas) to the ‘Erasmus’ programme of Europe-wide student exchanges.

3. Enforcing European law
The Commission acts as ‘guardian of the Treaties’. This means that the Commission, together with the Court of Justice, is responsible for making sure EU law is properly applied in all the member states.

If it finds that an EU country is not applying an EU law, and therefore not meeting its legal obligations, the Commission takes steps to put the situation right.

First it launches2 a process called the ‘infringement3 procedure’. This involves sending the government an official letter, saying why the Commission considers this country is infringing EU law and setting it a deadline for sending the Commission a detailed reply.

If this procedure fails to put things right, the Commission must then refer the matter to the Court of Justice, which has the power to impose penalties4. The Court’s judgments are binding5 on the member states and the EU institutions.
________________________________________________________________________________
Prohibit1 – uždrausti, sutrukdyti
Launch2 – paleisti, pradėti, ryžtingai imtis
Infringement3 – pažeidimas, sulaužymas
Penalty4 – bausmė, nuobauda, sankcija
Bind5 – surišti, pririšti, įrišti
4. Representing the EU on the international stage
The European Commission is an important mouthpiece for the European Union on the international stage. It enables the member states to speak ‘with one voice’ in international forums such as the World Trade Organisation.

The Commission also has the responsibility of negotiating international agreements on behalf of the EU. One example is the Cotonou Agreement, which sets out the terms of an important aid and trade partnership between the EU and developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

How is the Commission's work organised?
It is up to the Commission President to decide which commissioner will be responsible for which policy area, and to reshuffle these responsibilities (if necessary) during the Commission’s term of office.

The Commission meets once a week, usually on Wednesdays in Brussels. Each item on the agenda is presented by the commissioner responsible for that policy area, and the whole team then takes a collective decision on it.

The Commission’s staff is organised in departments, known as ‘Directorates-General’ (DGs) and ‘services’ (such as the Legal Service). Each DG is responsible for a particular policy area and is headed by a Director-General who is answerable to one of the commissioners. Overall coordination is provided by the Secretariat-General, which also manages the weekly Commission meetings. It is headed by the Secretary-General, who is answerable directly to the President.

It is the DGs that actually devise and draft legislative proposals, but these proposals become official only when ‘adopted’ by the Commission at its weekly meeting. The procedure is roughly as follows.

Suppose, for example, that the Commission sees a need for EU legislation to prevent pollution of Europe’s rivers. The Directorate-General for the Environment will draw up a proposal, based on extensive consultations with European industry and farmers, with environment ministries in the member states and with environmental organisations. The draft will also be discussed with other Commission departments and checked by the Legal Service and the Secretariat-General.

Once the