Steering committee?
We can make recommendations. The problem with the steering committee is that it is like an oil tanker. You can put the brakes on but it keeps going. You can try steering it but it goes in the same direction for ages.
Here is an explanation on how it works
Types of EU legal acts
EU treaties
The treaties lay down the objectives of the European Union, the rules for EU institutions, how decisions are made and the relationship between the EU and its member countries. The EU treaties have from time to time been amended to reform the EU institutions and to give it new areas of responsibility. They have also been amended to allow new EU countries to join the EU.
The treaties are negotiated and agreed by all the EU countries and then ratified by their parliaments, sometimes following a referendum.
Regulations
Regulations are legal acts that apply automatically and uniformly to all EU countries as soon as they enter into force, without needing to be transposed into national law. They are binding in their entirety on all EU countries.
Directives
Directives require EU countries to achieve a certain result, but leave them free to choose how to do so. EU countries must adopt measures to incorporate them into national law (transpose) in order to achieve the objectives set by the directive. National authorities must communicate these measures to the European Commission.
Transposition into national law must take place by the deadline set when the directive is adopted (generally within 2 years). When a country does not transpose a directive, the Commission may initiate
infringement proceedings.
Applying EU law
Decisions
Decisions are binding legal acts that apply to 1 or more EU countries, companies or individuals. The party concerned must be notified and the decision comes into effect upon such notification. They don’t need to be transposed into national law.
Recommendations
Recommendations allow the EU institutions to make their views known and to suggest a line of action without imposing any legal obligation on those to whom it is addressed. They have no binding force.
Opinions
An 'opinion' is an instrument that allows the EU institutions to make a statement, without imposing any legal obligation on the subject of the opinion. An opinion has no binding force.
Delegated acts
Delegated acts are legally binding acts that enable the Commission to supplement or amend non‑essential parts of EU legislative acts for example, in order to define detailed measures.
The Commission adopts the delegated act and if Parliament and Council have no objections, it enters into force.
Implementing acts
Implementing acts are legally binding acts that enable the Commission – under the supervision of committees consisting of EU countries’ representatives – to set conditions that ensure that EU laws are applied uniformly.
EU treaties