ABSTRACT
It is impossible to understand European Union (EU) policies, their elaboration, nature and evolution without considering the specificities of the EU’s institutional framework. Because of them, some policies are possible, others are not, and further, they determine the EU’s mode of governance. After the strengthening of EU powers and after each enlargement, the decision-making system has experienced both a formal and a practical evolution. This is still the case today with the Lisbon Treaty, which has had a significant impact on the relationship between institutions and on the decision-making dynamics. The visions of these actors towards European integration must also be considered. Their individual approaches to decision-making are not the same depending on whether they perceive it as a benefit to support, a necessary evil to control or a danger to combat. The initial treaties already held a dual logic of decision-making in the legislative domain.
