International Relations/The European Union/Institutions

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The European Union has created seven main institutions:

Institutions of the European Union [1][2][3]
European Parliament

- Legislative (lower house) -

European Council

- Sets impetus and direction -

Council of the European Union

- Legislative (upper house) -

European Commission

- Executive -

European Parliament
Members of the European Council 2011
EU Council room
European Commission building
  • acts together with the Council as a legislator
  • shares with the Council the budgetary power and decides in the last instance on the general budget of the EU
  • exerts the democratic control over EU institutions including the European Commission and appoints the Commission members
  • based and plenary sessions in Strasbourg, General Secretariat in Luxembourg, primarily meets in Brussels
  • summit of the Heads of Government, chaired by the President of the European Council)
  • gives the necessary impetus for the development and sets out general objectives and priorities
  • will not legislate
  • based in Brussels
  • acts together with the Parliament as a legislator
  • exerts together with the Parliament the budgetary power
  • ensures coordination of the broad economic and social policy and sets out guidelines for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)
  • conclude international agreements
  • based in Brussels
  • is the "government"
  • submits proposals for new legislation to the Parliament and to the Council
  • implements EU policy and administers the European Union budget|budget
  • ensures compliance with EU law
  • negotiates international treaties
  • based in Brussels
Court of Justice of the European Union

- Judiciary -

European Court of Auditors

- Financial auditor -

European Central Bank

- Monetary executive (central bank) -

ECJ room
ECA building
European Central Bank
  • ensure uniformity of interpretation of European law
  • has the power to decide legal disputes between EU member states, EU institutions, businesses and individuals
  • based in Luxembourg
  • shall examine the proper use of revenue and expenditure of the EU institutions
  • based in Luxembourg
  • forms together with the national central banks the European System of Central Banks and thereby determining the monetary policy of the EU
  • ensures price stability in the eurozone by controlling the money supply
  • based in Frankfurt am Main

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union/Title III: Provisions on the Institutions
  2. "Institutions: The European Commission". Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. "Parliament's powers and procedures". European Parliament. Retrieved 2007-06-12.