Institutions of the European Union
The European Union is more than just a confederation of countries, but it is not a federal state. Its political system is historically unique and has been constantly evolving over more than 50 years. The European Union’s policies and legislation are the result of decisions taken by the EU institutions described below.
Council of the European Union
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
The EESC is an advisory body that represents the various economic and social interest groups that constitute the “organised civil society”. Its members are appointed by the Council for a four-year term.
http://eesc.europa.eu
Committee of the Regions (CoR)
The CoR is an advisory body that represents regional and local governments and needs to be consulted by the Council and the Commission on all matters of relevance to the regions. Its members are appointed by the Council for a four-year term.
http://www.cor.europa.eu
European Central Bank (ECB)
The ECB, based in Frankfurt, is responsible for managing the euro and the EU’s monetary policy, which is managed in close so-operation with the national central banks of the EU MS.
http://www.ecb.eu
European Investment Bank (EIB)
The EIB, based in Luxembourg, provides loans and guarantees to help the EU’s less developed regions and to make businesses more competitive.
http://www.eib.org
The Council of the EU represents the Members Sates. It is the EU’s main legislative and decision-making body. Its role is to provide the EU with political impetus on key issues. The EU Member Sates take it in turns to hold the Council Presidency for a six-month period.
http://www.consilium.europa.eu
European Commission (EC) European Parliament (EP)
The EC represents the common interest of the EU. It is its main executive body and has the right to propose legislation and ensures that the EU policies are properly implemented. The members of the EC are appointed for a five-year term by agreement between the Member Sates, subject to approval by the European Parliament. The EC is based in Brussels.
http://ec.europa.eu
 The EP is the elected body that represents the European citizens. It shares legislative and budgetary powers with the Council of the European Union. Since 1979, the members of the EP are directly elected, by universal suffrage, every five years. It normally holds its plenary sessions in Strasbourg.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu
European Court of Justice (CoJ) Court of Auditors (CoA)
The role of the CoJ is to ensure that EU law is complied with and that the Treaties are correctly interpreted and applied. It is located in Luxembourg and is made up of one judge form each EU country, assisted by eight advocates-general.
http://curia.europa.eu
 The CoA ensures that the EU’s expenditure has been incurred in a lawful and regular manner and that the EU budget has been managed soundly. It is located in Luxembourg and is composed of one member from each EU country, appointed for a term of six years.
http://eca.europa.eu