EU Institutions

• European council

  • Decides the direction of the EU and policy priorities
  • Intergovernmental body and the heads of government for all EU nations meet four times a year
  • Political body not legislative
• Council of the European Union/council of ministers

  • Main decision making body of the EU
  • Approves legislation from the commission and EU budget
  • Ministers attend meetings for the economic and financial affairs
• The European Commission

  • Initiates EU legislation
  • Represents the Eu in international negotiations
  • Leader nominated by the EU council
  • 27 commissioners from each EU country
  • Commissioners aren't directly elected
• European parliament

  • Approves legislation from the commission
  • Approves EU budget
  • Provides democratic supervision of EU institution
  • EU's only directly elected body
  • 705 MEP's
  • Each EU nation is allocated a number of seats that reflects it's size.
• Court of justice of the European Union

  • Judiciary of the EU
  • Interprets the law and ensured it's applied in the same way across the EU
  • Rules against EU nations that infringe law
  • Ensures the EU acts within it's own laws
  • Judges appointed by national governments