An EU primer
European Parliament
Elected every five years, Parliament has
626 MEPs affiliated to transnational political groups which
represent the main political tendencies in the Member
States of the Union.
The European Parliament works in France, Belgium and
Luxembourg. Plenary sessions, which all MEPs attend, are
held in Strasbourg, the Parliament's seat. Parliamentary
committee meetings and any additional plenary sessions are
held in Brussels, whilst the General Secretariat is in
Luxembourg.
Council of the European Union
The Council is the EU's main decision-making body. The
Council's seat is in Brussels, where the ministerial
meetings take place, except in April, June and October,
when they are held in Luxembourg. The Council comprises one
ministerial level representative of each Member State, and
the Presidency of the Council is held for six months by
each of the Member States in turn.
European Commission
The European Commission proposes directions to take and
implements the measures decided on by the Council and
Parliament. It is politically answerable to the European
Parliament, which has the power to dismiss it by adopting a
motion of censure.
The Commission has a college of 20 members. The
President, the two Vice-Presidents and the 17 other Members
of the Commission have all held political positions in
their countries of origin, often at ministerial level.
The Commission is reappointed every five years, within
six months of the elections to the European Parliament.
Court of Justice
The Court of Justice ensures that the law is observed in
the interpretation and application of the Treaties which
form the basis of the roles and activities of the EU. The
judges and the advocates-general are appointed by joint
agreement of the governments of the Member States for a
renewable term of six years, with partial reappointment
every three years.
The President is appointed for a term of three years.
The seat of the Court of Justice is in Luxembourg.
Court of Auditors
The main role of the Court of Auditors is to monitor the
correct implementation of the EU budget, i.e. the legality
and regularity of Community income and expenditure. It also
ensures sound financial management and contributes to the
effectiveness and transparency of the Community system.
The seat of the Court of Auditors is in Luxembourg. It
comprises 15 members appointed by the Council for a
renewable term of six years, ruling unanimously after
consultation with the European Parliament.
The members elect a president from their number for a
term of three years.
European Central Bank
The arrival of Monetary Union in Europe has brought with
it a new currency, the euro, and a new central bank, the
European Central Bank (ECB).
The ECB and the central banks of the countries that have
adopted the euro make up a new entity known as the
"Eurosystem". As certain Member States of the European
Union have not yet adopted the euro, it is important to
make a distinction between the Eurosystem of 12 countries
and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB), which
comprises 15 countries.
The seat of the European Central Bank is in Frankfurt am
Main (Germany). Its staff come from all the Member States
of the European Union.
European Economic and Social Committee
The Economic and Social Committee (ESC) is an advisory
body ensuring that the various economic and social interest
groups (employers, trade unions, farmers, consumers, etc.)
are represented in the institutional framework of the
European Union.
The seat of the ESC is in Brussels, where most of its
meetings and the plenary sessions are held. Meetings are
also organised at other locations.
The members of the Committee are put forward by the
governments of the Member States and appointed by the
Council of the European Union for a renewable term of four
years.
The 222 members are totally independent, and the number
from each Member State approximately reflects the
population size (24 members for France, Germany, Italy and
the UK, 21 for Spain, 12 for Austria, Belgium, Greece, the
Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden, 9 for Denmark, Finland
and Ireland, and 6 for Luxembourg).
Committee of the Regions
The Committee of the Regions is an advisory body which
ensures that local and regional authorities are represented
at the heart of the European Union.
The seat of the Committee of the Regions is in
Brussels.
The 222 members of the Committee and the same number of
alternates are nominated by the Council of the European
Union for a renewable term of four years, at the
recommendation of the respective Member States.
The number from each Member State approximately reflects
the population size (24 members for France, Germany, Italy
and the UK, 21 for Spain, 12 for Austria, Belgium, Greece,
the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden, 9 for Denmark,
Finland and Ireland, and 6 for Luxembourg).
European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the financial
institution of the European Union. Both "bank" and
"European institution", it aids the achievement of the
Union's objectives by funding projects that promote
European integration, balanced development, economic and
social cohesion and the development of an innovative
knowledge-based economy.
The seat of the European Investment Bank is in
Luxembourg, where it employs staff from all the Member
States of the European Union.
The EIB's shareholders are the Member States of the
European Union. They subscribe jointly to its capital,
according to a sliding scale that reflects each State's
economic weight within the Union.
The EIB has a Board of Governors, a Board of Directors,
a Management Committee and an Audit Committee.
European Ombudsman
The Ombudsman is appointed after each European
Parliament election for a renewable term of five years,
corresponding to Parliament's legislative term. His seat is
that of the European Parliament, in Strasbourg. He is
assisted by a secretariat, whose principal administrator he
also appoints.
The Ombudsman operates completely independently and
impartially. He does not request or accept instructions
from any government or organisation. Moreover, during his
term of office, he may not exercise any other professional
activity, either paid or unpaid.
The Ombudsman's work comes to an end either on the
expiry of his mandate, or by voluntary or compulsory
resignation. If the position of Ombudsman falls vacant
early, his successor is appointed within three months of
the vacancy arising, for the remainder of the legislative
term.
If he no longer fulfils the conditions required for the
performance of his duties or is guilty of serious
misconduct, the Ombudsman may be dismissed by the Court of
Justice, at the request of the European Parliament.
Agencies of the European Union
A Community agency is a body governed by European public
law; it is distinct from the Community Institutions
(Council, Parliament, Commission, etc.) and has its own
legal personality. It is set up by an act of secondary
legislation in order to accomplish a very specific
technical, scientific or managerial task which is specified
in the relevant Community act.
There are currently 13 bodies answering the definition
of Community agency. They are:
- European Centre for the Development of Vocational
Training
- European Foundation for the Improvement of Living
and Working Conditions
- European Environment Agency
- European Training Foundation
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug
Addiction
- European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal
Products
- Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market
(Trade Marks and Designs)
- European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
- Community Plant Variety Office
- Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European
Union
- European Monitoring Centre on Racism and
Xenophobia
- European Agency for Reconstruction
- European Food Safety Authority
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