Throughout my time in Brussels, I have experienced multiple site visits at government institutions, and participated in presentations held by government employees.
We visited the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of the European Union. The Commission drafts legislation and sets the policy agendas for the European Union (EU). The Commission has two advisory bodies: the Committee of Regions (CoR) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). These advisory agencies act to bridge the gap between regional governments and civil society, and the Commission. After legislation is proposed, it needs to be passed by both the Parliament and the Council of the European Union. The Parliament consists of 720 members from all 27 member states of the EU, all of whom are elected by citizens from their respective nations. The Council of the EU composes of the 27 prime ministers of each member state. Both of these agencies work to amend, pass, or deny legislation proposed by the Commission.
The EU is a supranational government, acting as one body in the international space, especially when it comes to international relations and trade with non-EU members. However, the EU frequently has to cooperate with the national and local governments in each member state too. It was interesting to learn how Europe’s multi-level governance system operates to address public issues. Especially when comparing to the branches of government in the United States and the state and local government, there are many distinctions to be observed.
Nonetheless, it is a very enjoyable experience to learn of the politics within the EU. I will certainly be thinking of the experiences I learned when I come back to Pitt, learning about economic policy, and in my experiential opportunities in public policy.