Monopoly of Initiative

When a single institution in a democracy has the sole right to propose new legislation it is considered to have a Monopoly of Initiative.
European Union
In the European Union, the EU Commission has the sole and exclusive right to bring forward proposals for EU laws. This makes the EU Commission a legislative machine for the continual production of EU laws. Except for these non-elected commissioners, no person on earth has the exclusive right to propose European laws.
The Council and the EU Parliament can encourage the EU Commission to propose introducing a new law, but the EU Commission decides on its own whether to follow the advice.
The EU Commission also decides the legal basis for its proposal and thus decides whether an area is to be regulated by binding laws or voluntary coordination.
The EU Commission's choice concerning a law’s legal basis and its legislative proposals can only be changed by a unanimous decision of the Council. .
 
< Prev   Next >