Reflective commentary - Assignment Example

Defining the substance of the study made it possible to undertake a focused study without going off-topic ‘(Hartley, 2010)’. The definition was followed by a further inquiry into the components of the council, with a focus on the parties that make up the council, how they are selected and the powers they wield. These components were better explained by the book titled The Foundations of EU Law by T. Hartley. This was an important step, since it broadens the study in a systematic manner. This is because, the study advances from the mere definition to understanding the components of the body and the powers held by the parties.

Having understood the components of the EU council as a decision making body of the EU, it was relevant to understand how the decision making process is undertaken. This required some inquiry into the procedures of undertaking meetings, their venues and what the meetings entail. At this stage, the broad topic was narrowed down to engage in understanding the specific details of the EU council meetings, who arranges them and how the agendas are raised ‘(Hartley, 2010)’. This is when the book titled Unlocking EU Law by T.

Storey and C. Turner, became relevant, since it explained all the procedures of the meetings and the changes in venues at different times ‘(Storey & Turner, 2011)’. . In studying the role of the EU council as a decision making body of the EU, I visited the Law Teacher website to obtain credible information. Additionally, reliable and relevant sources, which particularly address the EU council and its roles were consulted. Here, the second edition of the book by A. Kaczorowska, titled European Union Law proved worth, since it comprehensively addressed the EU council and its functions ‘(Kaczorowska, 2011)’.

Therefore, the resources used were the ones directly addressing the decision making process of the EU, since they would discuss this topic widely and venture into finer details, compared to other sources which generally address the EU holistically. I used The Foundations of EU Law by T. Hartley, to gain the basis the EU council decision-making mandate ‘(Hartley, 2010)’. The process of selecting the resources for use entailed consulting both the old and the new version of such resources, since a combination of the old and the new resources could be more informing than dwelling on either version.

I used the third edition of Unlocking EU Law by T. Storey and C. Turner to gain an insight on how the decision making mandate of the EU council has changed over time ‘(Storey & Turner, 2011)’. Additionally, sources of information that addressed the decision making role of the council both before and after the EU enlargement were consulted, since they could give systematic information regarding the changes in the roles of the council. Here, the book, EU Law by J. Steiner, became relevant for this purpose ‘(Steiner, 2012)’.

Therefore, a range of resources were consulted, to compare and contrast the information obtained, and settle on the most promising details. The