what is the difference between European parliament and European comission ?
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The European Parliament is directly elected by citizens of the EU, like most other legislatures.
The European Commission is an executive body of the EU, appointed by the European Council (made up of the heads of government of each member country) and confirmed by the European Parliament. They propose legislation, enforce rules and regulations, draft EU budgets, enter diplomatic relations with other countries, etc.
The European Parliament votes on said proposed legislation, budgets, treaties, and other measures proposed by the European Commission.
The one major difference to other legislatures is that the European Parliament cannot propose its own legislation.
Broadly speaking, the Parliament is the elected governing representatives while the Commission is the civil service.
The Parliament is made up of elected members from across EU states. They discuss, debate and enact new laws.
The Commission is the body that researches, proposes and writes the laws for the Parliament to vote on.
As the EU doesn’t then have direct legislative control over it’s members, it is then up to individual states to enact laws by incorporating them into individual domestic legislation.
So let’s say there is a general concern that Mincing Machines shouldn’t be used on hamsters.
The Commission would write a new EU law that might say “it will be illegal to put an hamster into a mincing machine. A mincing machine is defined as any mechanical device designed to grind meat into small chunks though these methods…”
The Parliament then read that law and decide whether to accept it or change it. Eventually it gets voted on and passes.
Germany might decide their laws already stop you mincing hamsters and do nothing.
France might decide their laws mostly do but add a line to the existing French “Mincing of Animals (Prohibitions)” to make it clear that you can’t mince hamsters.
Belgium might have never thought of this before and so start work in a new Mincing Hamsters law that meets the standard the EU have set out.
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