The European Union — Institutions and the Path to Visa Liberalization

One of the EU's most important institutions is the European Parliament, the only international institution whose members are elected by direct, universal suffrage.

What does the European Parliament do?

The European Parliament has three main roles:

• Legislative
• Supervisory
• Budgetary

Unlike ordinary parliaments, a key distinguishing feature of the European Parliament is that it does not form a government, since a government, in the traditional sense, does not exist within the EU. The European Parliament's sessions are held in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg. Sessions are chaired by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

The European Council determines the EU's political direction and priorities, which is why it serves as the highest political body, bringing together the heads of state of member countries. Its membership also includes the President of the European Commission.

What does the European Council do?

• Decides the EU's overall direction and political priorities — but does not pass laws
• Addresses complex issues that cannot be resolved at a lower level of intergovernmental cooperation
• Establishes the EU's common foreign and security policy, taking into account the EU's strategic interests and defense implications
• Nominates and appoints candidates for certain EU-level roles, such as the ECB

The European Council usually meets 4 times a year. However, the President can convene additional meetings in the event of urgent situations.

In the Council of the European Union, informally also known as the Council, government ministers from each EU country meet to discuss and adopt laws and coordinate policy. The Council's sessions are held in Brussels, except in April, June, and October, when sessions are held in Luxembourg.

What does the Council of the European Union do?

• Negotiates and adopts EU laws, together with the European Parliament, based on proposals from the European Commission
• Coordinates the policies of EU countries
• Develops the EU's foreign and security policy based on the guiding principles set by the European Council
• Concludes agreements between the EU and other countries or international organizations
• Adopts the EU's annual budget - together with the European Parliament

The Council of the European Union's sessions are mainly held in Brussels, Belgium.

The European Commission is the EU's politically independent executive body, responsible for drafting proposals for new European legislation and implementing the decisions of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

What does the European Commission do?

• Initiates new laws
• Manages EU policy and allocates EU funding
• Enforces EU laws
• Represents the EU at the international level

The composition of the European Commission is approved by the European Parliament. Under the Amsterdam Treaty, the President of the European Commission is appointed based on the common agreement of member states' governments and requires approval by the European Parliament. The other members of the Commission are appointed and approved alongside the President. The current President of the European Commission is Ursula von der Leyen.

So, the EU's institutions are designed to ensure the effective functioning of the organization and to protect the interests of member states. The European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission are the four main institutions that carry out legislative, supervisory, and budgetary functions, determine the EU's overall political direction and priorities, represent the EU at the international level, and manage policy and the budget.

The path toward visa liberalization within the EU began in 1985, when five countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, and France) signed the Schengen Agreement, aimed at opening borders and ensuring free movement. In 1995, the Schengen Area officially came into effect, meaning that citizens and visitors of member countries could move freely between countries.

In the 1990s and 2000s, as the EU expanded, the Schengen Area expanded as well. Gradually, the EU began concluding visa liberalization agreements with non-member countries. These agreements aimed to simplify or fully remove the visa regime for citizens of specific countries. Successful examples include the countries of the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership countries (including Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova), and some countries in Latin America.

The EU is considering agreements with new partners and continually reviews the effectiveness of existing regimes. Despite certain challenges, such as migration issues and security concerns, the EU continues working to uphold the principles of free movement and to improve the visa liberalization process.