The European Union (EU) is a union of twenty seven independent states based on the European Communities and founded to enhance political, economic and social cooperation.
The EU institutions are: the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the Court of Justice.
The Commission consists of members appointed by the member states for 5 years. They must be nationals of a member state. However, they do not represent their own countries: they are independent, and represent the interests of the EU overall.
The Commission has three distinct functions:
- initiator of proposals for legislation;
- guardian of the Treaties;
- executor of Union policies.
The Council of the European Union, also known asthe Council of Ministers represents the interests of individual member states. It does not have a permanent membership – in each meeting, the members are chosen according to the subject under discussion (for example, if a discussion is on farming the Minister of Agriculture of each country will attend).
(The Council of the European Union should not be confused with the European Council which is formed by Heads of State or Government who meet twice a year in the form of summit meetings to discuss important Union matters.)
The European Parliament is composed of members (MEPs) who are elected in their own countries. The individual member countries are represented according to population.
The most important powers of the European Parliament are:
- legislative power;
- power over the budget;
- supervision over the executive.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is composed of 25(7) judges and 9 advocates general.
The Court decides cases brought by the member states, by the Union institutions and by individuals and companies. It guarantees uniform interpretation of the Union law.
In 1989 a Court of First Instance was attached to the Court of Justice to improve the judicial protection of individual interests.
The Court of First Instance now deals with all cases of individuals and companies against the Union institutions. Its decisions may be appealed to the Court of Justice.
As the European Union has enlarged, the institutions have grown larger and more numerous. The European Court of Auditors plays an important role of financial control; the European Investment Bank is a major source of finance for economic development; the Committee of Regions represents the regional interests in the Union; the Ombudsman deals with ensuring good practice in the administration of the Community institutions; and European Central Bank has the main aim of price stability.
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