Portal:European Union/Institutions


The European Union is governed by seven institutions. Article 13 of Treaty on European Union lists them in the following order: the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the European Union (the Council); the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Central Bank and the Court of Auditors.

European Council Council of the European Union European Parliament
Provides impetus and direction Legislative Legislative
Members of the European Council 2011
Council of the EU and European Council meeting room in the Europa building
European Parliament
Based in Brussels,  Belgium. Based in Brussels,  Belgium. Meets in Luxembourg,  Luxembourg for the months of April, June and October. Meets in Strasbourg,  France and Brussels,  Belgium. Secretariat based in Luxembourg,  Luxembourg.
  • composed of twenty-seven national ministers (one per state)
  • formally known as "the Council"; informally known as the "Council of Ministers"
  • acts together with the Parliament as a legislature
  • shares 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)
  • concludes international agreements
  • acts together with the Council (of the European Union) as a legislature
  • shares with the Council (of the European Union) the budgetary power
  • exerts the democratic control over the institutions including the European Commission and approves the Commission members
European Commission Court of Justice of the European Union European Central Bank
Executive Judicial Central bank
European Commission building
ECJ room
European Central Bank
Based in Brussels,  Belgium. Various departments and services hosted in Luxembourg,  Luxembourg. Based in Luxembourg,  Luxembourg. Based in Frankfurt,  Germany.
  • ensures the uniform application and interpretation of European law
  • has the power to decide legal disputes between member states, the institutions, businesses and individuals
European Court of Auditors
Auditory
ECA building
Based in Luxembourg,  Luxembourg.
  • checks the proper implementation of the budget
Source