• The European Parliament
• The Council of the European Union
• The European Commission
• The Court of Justice
• The Court of Auditors
• The European Economic and Social Committee
• The Committee of the Regions
• The European Central Bank
• The European Investment Bank

The European Parliament: Voice of the people

The European Parliament is elected every five years by the people of Europe to represent their interests.

The main job of Parliament is to pass European laws on the basis of proposals presented by the European Commission. Parliament shares this responsibility with the Council of the European Union. Parliament and Council also share joint authority for approving the EU’s €130 billion annual budget.

Parliament has the power to dismiss the European Commission.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) do not sit in national blocks, but in Europe-wide political groups. These include parties such as the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats), socialists, liberals, greens and others. Between them, MEPs represent all views on European integration, from the strongly pro-federalist to the openly Eurosceptic.

The main meetings of the Parliament are held in Strasbourg (France), others in Brussels (Belgium). Like all other EU institutions, the Parliament works in all the 23 official EU languages.

The Parliament elects the European Ombudsman, who investigates citizens’ complaints about maladministration by the EU institutions (ombudsman.europa.eu).

The Council of the European Union: Voice of the Member States

The Council of the European Union — formerly known as the Council of Ministers — is the EU’s principal decision-taking body. It shares with Parliament the responsibility for passing EU laws. It is also in charge of the EU’s foreign, security and defence policies, and is responsible for key decisions on justice and freedom issues.

The Council consists of ministers from the national governments of all the EU countries. Meetings are attended by whichever ministers are responsible for the items to be discussed: foreign ministers, ministers of the economy and finance, ministers for agriculture and so on, as appropriate. Every six months, a different member state assumes the so-called Presidency of the EU, meaning that it chairs these meetings and sets the overall political agenda.

Each country has a number of votes in the Council broadly reflecting the size of its population, but weighted in favour of smaller countries. Most decisions are taken by majority vote, although sensitive issues in areas like taxation, asylum and immigration, or foreign policy, require unanimity.

Several times a year the presidents and/or prime ministers of the member states meet as the European Council. These ‘summit’ meetings set overall EU policy.

The European Commission: Promoting the common interest

The European Commission is the EU’s executive organ. It represents and upholds the interests of Europe as a whole.

It drafts proposals for new European laws, which it presents to the European Parliament and the Council. It manages the day-to-day business of implementing EU policies and spending EU funds. The Commission also makes sure that everyone abides by the European treaties and laws. It can act against rule-breakers, taking them to the European Court of Justice if necessary.

The Commission consists of 27 men and women — one from each EU country. They are assisted by about 24 000 civil servants, most of whom work in Brussels.

The president of the Commission is chosen by EU governments and endorsed by the European Parliament. The other commissioners are nominated by their national governments in consultation with the incoming president, and must be approved by the European Parliament. They do not represent the governments of their home countries. Instead, each of them has responsibility for a particular EU policy area.

The president and members of the Commission are appointed for a period of five years, coinciding with the period for which the European Parliament is elected.

The Court of Justice: The rule of law

The job of the Court of Justice is to make sure that EU law is interpreted and applied in the same way in all EU countries, thereby ensuring that the law is equal for everyone. It ensures, for example, that national courts do not give different rulings on the same issue. The Court also makes sure that EU member states and institutions do what the law requires them to do. The Court is located in Luxembourg and has one judge from each member country.

The Court of Auditors: Getting value for your money

The Court of Auditors checks that the EU’s funds, which come from the taxpayers, are spent legally, economically and for the intended purpose. The Court is based in Luxembourg and has the right to audit any organisation, body or company which handles EU funds.

The European Economic and Social Committee: Voice of civil society

The 344 members of the European Economic and Social Committee represent a wide range of interests: from employers to trade unionists, from consumers to ecologists. The Committee is an advisory body which must be consulted on proposed EU decisions about employment, social spending, vocational training, etc.

The Committee of the Regions: The local perspective

The Committee of the Regions is consulted on upcoming EU decisions with a direct impact at the local or regional level in fields such as transport, health, employment or education. Its 344 members are often leaders of regional governments or mayors of cities.

The European Central Bank: A stable currency

Based in Frankfurt, the (Germany), the European Central Bank is responsible for managing the euro, principally by setting interest rates. Its prime concern is ensuring price stability so that the European economy is not harmed by inflation. The Bank takes it decisions independently of governments and other bodies.

The European Investment Bank: Lending a helping hand

The Bank lends money for projects of European interest, particularly in the less well-off regions. It finances infrastructure projects, such as rail and road links or environmental schemes. It also provides credit for investments by small businesses and lends to candidate states and developing countries. Because it is owned by EU governments, the bank can raise capital and provide loans and credit at favourable rates.