EU institutions
Personal interpretation Marc Sel, last updated 2003-02-04.
EU system
The European Union is built on an institutional system which is the only one of its kind in the world.
The Member States delegate sovereignty for certain matters to independent institutions which represent the
interests of the Union as a whole, its member countries and its citizens. The Commission traditionally upholds the
interests of the Union as a whole, while each national government is represented within the Council, and the
European Parliament is directly elected by citizens. Democracy and the rule of law are therefore the cornerstones
of the structure.
This "institutional triangle" of Commission, Council and Parliament is flanked by two more institutions - the Court of
Justice and the Court of Auditors - and five other European bodies. In addition thirteen specialised agencies have
been set up to handle certain essentially technical, scientific, or management tasks.
- European Parliament
- Council of the European Union
- European Commission
- Court of Justice
- Court of Auditors
- European Central Bank
- Economic and Social Committee
- Committee of the Regions
- European Investment Bank
- European Ombudsman
- Agencies of the European Union
Decision-making in the European Union
European Parliament
Elected every five years by direct universal suffrage, the European Parliament is the expression of the democratic
will of the Union's 374 million citizens. Brought together within pan-European political groups, the major political
parties operating in the Member States are represented.
Parliament has three essential functions:
- It shares with the Council the power to legislate, i.e. to adopt European laws (directives, regulations,
decisions). Its involvement in the legislative process helps to guarantee the democratic legitimacy of the texts
adopted;
- It shares budgetary authority with the Council, and can therefore influence EU spending. At the end of the
procedure, it adopts the budget in its entirety;
- It exercises democratic supervision over the Commission. It approves the nomination of Commissioners and
has the right to censure the Commission. It also exercises political supervision over all the institutions.
Council of the European Union
The Council is the EU's main decision-making body. It is the embodiment of the Member States, whose
representatives it brings together regularly at ministerial level.
According to the matters on the agenda, the Council meets in different compositions: foreign affairs, finance,
education, telecommunications, etc.
The Council has a number of key responsibilities:
- It is the Union's legislative body; for a wide range of EU issues, it exercises that legislative power in
co-decision with the European Parliament;
- It coordinates the broad economic policies of the Member States;
- It concludes, on behalf of the EU, international agreements with one or more States or international
organisations;
- It shares budgetary authority with Parliament;
- It takes the decisions necessary for framing and implementing the common foreign and security policy, on
the basis of general guidelines established by the European Council;
- It coordinates the activities of Member States and adopts measures in the field of police and judicial
cooperation in criminal matters.
European Commission
The European Commission embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union. The President and Members of
the Commission are appointed by the Member States after they have been approved by the European Parliament.
The Commission is the driving force in the Union's institutional system:
- It has the right to initiate draft legislation and therefore presents legislative proposals to Parliament and the
Council;
- As the Union's executive body, it is responsible for implementing the European legislation (directives,
regulations, decisions), budget and programmes adopted by Parliament and the Council;
- It acts as guardian of the Treaties and, together with the Court of Justice, ensures that Community law is
properly applied;
- It represents the Union on the international stage and negotiates international agreements, chiefly in the field
of trade and cooperation.
The European Commission embodies the general interests of the European Union and acts as a driving force in the
integration process. It proposes directions to take and implements the measures decided on by the Council and
Parliament. It is politically answerable to the European Parliament, which has the power to dismiss it by adopting a
motion of censure.
The Commission has a college of 20 members. The President, the two Vice-Presidents and the 17 other Members of
the Commission are chosen for their general competence, and all present guarantees of independence. They have
all held political positions in their countries of origin, often at ministerial level.
The Commission is reappointed every five years, within six months of the elections to the European Parliament.
The "Commission", as a political body, is a college made up of 20 members. It is assisted by an administration
comprising general services (Secretariat-General, Legal Service, Eurostat, etc.) and the Directorates-General
(DGs), each of which is headed by a Director-General answerable to the relevant Commissioner.
Court of Justice
The Court of Justice ensures that Community law is uniformly interpreted and effectively applied. It has jurisdiction
in disputes involving Member States, EU institutions, businesses and individuals. A Court of First Instance has been
attached to it since 1989.
Court of Auditors
The Court of Auditors checks that all the Union's revenue has been received and all its expenditure incurred in a
lawful and regular manner and that financial management of the EU budget has been sound.
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank frames and implements European monetary policy; it conducts foreign exchange
operations and ensures the smooth operation of payment systems.
European Economic and Social Committee
The European Economic and Social Committee represents the views and interests of organised civil society
vis-à-vis the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament. The Committee has to be consulted on matters
relating to economic and social policy; it may also issue opinions on its own initiative on other matters which it
considers to be important.
Committee of the Regions
The Committee of the Regions ensures that regional and local identities and prerogatives are respected. It has to be
consulted on matters concerning regional policy, the environment and education. It is composed of representatives
of regional and local authorities.
European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's financial institution. It finances investment projects
which contribute to the balanced development of the Union.
European Ombudsman
All individuals or entities (institutions or businesses) resident in the Union can apply to the European Ombudsman if
they consider that they have been harmed by an act of "maladministration" by an EU institution or body.