The European institutions

Following key information on the EU and the European construction…

Third step to better understand the EU: the European institutions

Main institutions

The European Council

• Sets out EU main priorities
• Composition:
• A president appointed for two and a half years: Donal Tusk
• Brings together the Heads of State and Government of the 28 Member States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission

The European Commission

• Proposes laws, manages EU budget and ensures compliance with EU policies
• Composition:
• 28 European Commissioners appointed for five years, including a president: Jean-Claude Juncker

The European Parliament

• Represents EU citizens
• Adopts laws, ensures compliance with these and approves EU budget
• Composition:
• A president: Martin Schulz
• 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) elected for five years

The Council of the European Union (The Council)

• Adopts laws, ensures compliance with these and approves EU budget
• Composition:
• Government ministers of each Member States acting in a specific area (i.e. agriculture, economy, etc.)
• Rotating presidency between EU Member States every six months

Other institutions

• The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)
• The European Court of Auditors (ECA)
• The European Central Bank (ECB)
• The Committee of the Regions (CoR)
• The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

How do European institutions interact?

Institutional triangle

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Overall functioning

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