European Council
  • summit of the Heads of state or government, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission
  • gives the necessary political impetus for the development of the Union and sets its general objectives and priorities
  • does not legislate
  • based in Brussels
Council of the European Union
  • acts together with the European Parliament as a legislature
  • shares with the European Parliament the budgetary power
  • ensures coordination of the broad economic and social policy and sets out guidelines for the Common Foreign and Security Policy
  • concludes international agreements
  • located in Brussels
European Parliament
  • acts together with the Council of the European Union as a legislature
  • shares with the Council the budgetary power
  • exerts the democratic control over the institutions including the European Commission and approves the Commission members
  • plenary sessions of the European Parliament are held in Strasbourg and Brussels
European Commission
  • is the executive
  • submits proposals for new legislation to the Parliament and Council of the European Union
  • implements policies
  • administers the budget
  • ensures compliance with European law
  • negotiates international agreements
  • based in Brussels
Court of Justice of the European Union
  • ensures the uniform application and interpretation of European law
  • has the power to decide legal disputes between member states, the institutions, businesses and individuals
  • based in Luxembourg
European Central Bank
  • forms together with the national central banks the European System of Central Banks and thereby determines the monetary policy of the eurozone
  • ensures price stability in the eurozone by controlling the money supply
  • based in Frankfurt
European Court of Auditors
  • checks the proper implementation of the budget
  • based in Luxembourg