| A heterarchy is a network of elements which share the same "horizontal" position level in a decision-making system. Each level in such a system may be composed of a heterarchy which contains its constituent elements.
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| A hierarchy is a system of ranking and organizing things. More concretely, hierarchy describes a decision-making structure that is marked by a clear ranking of actors, where subordination of institutional actors to others exists.
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| The OMC has the ambition to avoid isolated and dispersed actions or measures, but require consistent and concerted action over a wide range of policies and measures. These measures need to address diverse needs and conditions and to be the result of the interaction of institutions and a large number of stakeholders.
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This term is used to describe negotiations between the Member States' governments with a view to amending the Treaties. Treaty reform negotiations rest upon Article 48 TEU. The conferences are convened by the Council of Ministers (after consulting the European Parliament and, where appropriate, the Commission) acting by a simple majority, “for the purpose of determining by common accord the amendments to be made to those Treaties”. The preparatory work is entrusted to a group consisting of a representative of each of the Member States' governments and, as a matter of custom, a representative of the Commission. The European Parliament is closely involved throughout by means of observers and discussions with the President of the Parliament. Documents are regularly exchanged between the negotiation parties, but are normally not accessible to the public. This group regularly reports to the General Affairs Council. The final decisions of the “big bargains” are taken by the heads of state and government at a European Council. The amendments are treaties under international law. They enter into force after being ratified by all Member States.
See also the Glossary of the European Union - external link. |
| Intergovernmentalism is an institutional principle, a theoretical approach and a method of decision-making in international organizations, where power is possessed by the member-states and decisions are made by unanimity. Independent appointees of the governments or elected representatives have solely advisory or implementational functions. Intergovernmentalism is used by most international organizations today.
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| It is a shared expectation among actors in an arrangement of asymmetric power, such that the actions of those who rule are accepted voluntarily by those who are ruled because the latter are convinced that the actions of the former conform to pre-established norms. Legitimacy converts power into authority and, thereby, simultaneously establishes an obligation to obey and a right to rule.
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