G6 (EU)

G6 members

European Union

This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the European Union

Executive Juncker Commission President Juncker (EPP) Vice Presidents College Civil Service Secretary-General Day

Legislature Parliament President Schulz (S&D) Largest groups; EPP (Manfred Weber) S&D (Gianni Pittella) 8th session (2014-19) 751 MEPs Bureau Vice Presidents Quaestor Conference Legislative procedure EU Council Luxembourgish Presidency Configurations General Foreign Justice and Home Economic Euro Legislative procedure Voting Secretariat Secretary-General Uwe Corsepius Directorates-general COREPER

European Council President Tusk (EPP) Parties List of meetings

Judiciary Court of Justice Members Rulings General Court Civil Service Tribunal

Central Bank President Draghi ESCB Euro EMU Eurozone

Court of Auditors Budget OLAF

Other bodies Agencies Investment Bank CoR EESC Ombudsman National parliaments

Policies and issues Foreign relations High Representative Federica Mogherini Ext. Action Service Foreign Policy Defence Policy Customs Union Enlargement Budget Four Freedoms Economic Area Area of FS&J Schengen Area Policies Agricultural Energy Fisheries Regional Citizenship Identity Pro-Europeanism Euroscepticism Integration Supranationalism Federalism United States of Europe Multi-speed Opt-outs Enhanced co-op Withdrawal

Elections 1979, 1984, 1989 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 2014 (last election) Political parties Constituencies File:EP-constituencies.svg Referendums

Law Acquis Primacy Subsidiarity Treaties Fundamental Rights Membership

The G6 (Group of Six) in the European Union is an unofficial group of the interior ministers of the six European Union member states – Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Poland – with the largest populations and thus with the majority of votes in the Council of the European Union. The G6 was established in 2003 as G5 to deal with immigration, terrorism and law and order. In 2006, Poland joined the group, making it the G6.

G6
state	population	votes in the Council		notes
Germany	83,314,906	29	8.4%
France	65,027,000	29	8.4%
United Kingdom	62,113,205	29	8.4%
Italy	60,000,068	29	8.4%
Spain	47,016,894	27	7.8%
Poland	38,116,000	27	7.8%	joined in 2006
total	348,658,527	170	49.3%

Under the third pillar of the EU, Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters, powers are largely intergovernmental; this is the one EU policy area where there is no Commission monopoly on proposing law. In other policy areas, the Commission can usually create balance among the states, but in this one, the G6 has a great deal of influence over the Commission.

Nicolas Sarkozy has called on the G6 to lead the Union following the dilution of the Franco-German motor after the 2004 enlargement of the European Union. The lack of transparency and accountability of the G6 has been criticised by a number of figures, notably by a report by the UK's House of Lords.

See also

• Area of freedom, security and justice
• Council of the European Union
• Democratic deficit in the European Union
• European Commission
• Inner Six
• G4 (EU)
• EU three
• Intergovernmentalism
• List of European Union member states by population
• Voting in the Council of the European Union
• World Group of Six