The Commission has no power other than that given to it by the Council or the treaties. The Council has agreed to give a mandate to the Commission to negotiate on trade matters with the United States and within the WTO, etc., but the Commission must return to the Council with any proposals it seeks to agree on. The Council must approve what the Commission has negotiated. The democratic gap is that the European Parliament is excluded from this process. That is not to say other aspects do not need to be addressed.