Institutions of The European Union - Political Institutions

Political Institutions

There are three political institutions which hold the executive and legislative power of the Union. The Council represents governments, the Parliament represents citizens and the Commission represents the European interest. Essentially, the Council, Parliament or another party place a request for legislation to the Commission. The Commission then drafts this and presents it to the Parliament and Council, where in most cases both must give their assent. Although the exact nature of this depends upon the legislative procedure in use, once it is approved and signed by both bodies it becomes law. The Commission's duty is to ensure it is implemented by dealing with the day-to-day running of the Union and taking others to Court if they fail to comply.

Institutions of the European Union
European Parliament

- Legislative (lower house) -

 European Council

- Sets impetus and direction -

 Council of the European Union

- Legislative (upper house) -

 European Commission

- Executive -
  • 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 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) -
  • 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 (see also Budget of the European Union)
  • 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 euro zone by controlling the money supply
  • based in Frankfurt

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