Chapter 1

• Union Institutions


  Governmental institutions established by the European Treaties to make, execute, and adjudicate European law
• The Union's institutions and their core tasks are defined in Title III of the Treaty on European Union (TEU)
• Union's institutions


  • European Parliament
  • European Council
  • Council
  • European Commission
  • Court of Justice of the European Union
  • European Central Bank
  • Court of Auditors
• Article 13 TEU on the institutional framework

  • Aims to promote the Union's values, advance its objectives, serve its interests, those of its citizens and those of its Member States, and ensure the consistency, effectiveness and continuity of its policies and actions
• European Parliament


  Directly elected by the citizens of the Union, with a maximum of 751 members and degressively proportional representation
• Formation of the European Parliament

  Initially composed of representatives designated by national parliaments, now directly elected since 1979
• Parliamentary Powers

  • Legislative, budgetary, supervisory, and elective powers
• Council of Ministers


  Originally charged with ensuring the attainment of the Treaty objectives, with both legislative and executive functions, but its role has been limited by the rise of the European Parliament and the European Council
• Composition and Configurations of the Council

  • Consists of a representative from each Member State at the ministerial level, with ten different Council configurations dealing with specific policy areas
• Internal Structure and Organs of the Council

  • Supported by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper), which prepares the work of the Council
• Decision-making and Voting in the Council

  • Can be through unanimity voting or majority voting, with the latter being the constitutional norm, and the system of qualified majority voting has been reformed to a simpler double majority system post-Lisbon Treaty
• Functions and Powers of the Council

  • Shares legislative and budgetary functions with the European Parliament, and has significant policy-making and coordinating functions
• European Commission


  The executive branch of the European Union, playing a central role in promoting the general interest of the Union, ensuring the application of the Treaties, and overseeing the implementation of Union law
• Composition and Election of the Commission

  • Consists of one national from each Member State, selected based on their competence and commitment to Europe, with the selection process including the election of the Commission President and the consent of the European Parliament
• The President and "his" College

  • The President of the Commission has significant authority over the Commission's members and operations, ensuring it acts consistently and efficiently
• Functions and Powers of the Commission

  • Promoting the general interest of the Union, ensuring the application of the Treaties, acting as the guardian of the Union, executing the budget and managing programs, coordinating and managing functions, and ensuring the Union's external representation
• Court of Justice of the European Union

  The judicial branch of the Union, ensuring the interpretation and application of the Treaties
• Judicial Architecture


  • The Court system includes the Court of Justice, the General Court, and specialized courts, forming a three-tiered judicial structure
• Jurisdiction and Judicial Powers

  • The Court's jurisdiction is compulsory within the limits of the powers conferred by the Treaties, and its functions include ruling on actions brought by Member States or institutions, giving preliminary rulings, and ruling in other cases provided by the Treaties
• The Council of Ministers?

  EP and the Commission