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EU Institutions

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

The European Parliament (EP) is an assembly representing around 500 million European citizens. Currently, there are 705 Members of the European Parliament (MEP). MEPs are elected for a five-year term through elections held across 27 Member States. Elections to the European Parliament makes the EP only institution within the EU structure which is directly elected by the European citizens. President of the EP is elected among the MEPs with absolute majority; and, the President’s term lasts 2,5 years. On January 18, 2022 Roberta Metsola (S&D) was elected as the President of the EP.

The first elections were held on June 7-10, 1979. Each Member State holds a number of seats in proportion of its population. For instance, Germany sends 96 MEPs to the Parliament while this number is 15 for Ireland.

With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the cap on the number of seats has been raised to 751 (750 MEPs + the President) with a maximum of 96 and minimum of 6 seats by Member State. Accordingly, 751 MEPs were present at the EP as a result of 2019 EP elections. After the UKs withdrawal from EU membership on 31 January 2020, the number of seats was reduced to 705. 27 of UKs 73 seats were re-allocated between Member States.

MEPs operate within the political groups in the EP without recourse to their nationality. Along with the seven different parliamentary groups, there are non-attached representatives who are not affiliated to any political group. The political groups of the EP are: European People’s Party, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Renew Europe, Greens/European Free Alliance, European Conservatives and Reformists, Identity and Democracy, and the Left Group in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL.

As all other parliaments, EP has three main functions which are the following: passing legislation, ensuring the supervision and oversight of the executive and adoption of the EU’s budget. Within this framework, the EP examines the proposals which are presented by the Commission and participates in the legislation procedure alongside with the Council (see Decision-making process). The EP holds the competence of supervising all EU institutions, primarily the Commission, by addressing written and verbal questions. Last but not least, the EP also has the responsibility to approve EU’s annual budget and to supervise its implementation alongside with the Council.

The Lisbon Treaty has not only increased the competences of the EP over the EU’s budget but also brought its competences in the legislation field to an equal level with those of the Council. Furthermore, the European Parliament choses the President of the European Commission as well as the European Ombudsman.

The EP has premises in three different places: Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg. The plenary sittings take place mainly in Strasbourg, but some meetings also take place in Brussels. There are 20 committees at the EP dealing with different subjects. These committees discuss the cases coming to the EP, draw up reports and present these reports to the plenary assembly. Debates at the EP are held in public. EP decisions, position papers and meeting minutes are published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Further information can be found on the official website of the European Parliament.

 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

European Commission is one of the supranational institutions of the EU; in other words, it protects interests of the Union rather than protecting those of the Member States separately. Member States cannot give order or instruction to the Commission. The Commission, unlike the Council which represents the Member States’ interests, is independent from Member States and protects the general interests of the EU as a Union. Within this framework, the members of the Commission, take the oath of “impartiality” before their five-year long mission begins. There are 27 commissioners, each of them comes from a member country.

Primarily, European Commission is executive organ of the EU. Implementing and monitoring the acquis, budget and programmes of the EU are the responsibilities of European Commission. The Commission has four fundamental tasks: to propose draft legislation to the EP and the Council; to draw up and implement the budget and the policies of the EU, to provide the application of the EU legislation with the European Court of Justice and to represent the EU at the international level (for instance, to negotiate agreements between EU and other countries). In this context, the proposition of law is the sole competence of the Commission.

The Commission is politically responsible to the EP for its own actions. Therefore, the EP holds the competence of dismissing the Commission from the office by issuing a motion of censure.

A candidate for the Commission’s Presidency is presented by the European Council to the EP, taking into account of the elections in the EP and requires the support of the majority of the members of the EP in order to be selected. The Council submits the members of the Commission, who are chosen by the President of the Commission among the candidates which are nominated by Member States, for the approval of the EP. The Commission as a committee, after receiving a vote of confidence from the EP, is appointed by the Council by a qualified majority voting.

In the context of high-level appointments, former German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who is the first woman to occupy the position, took the office of Presidency of European Commission as of December 1, 2019 once proposed by the EU leaders and approved by the EP.  One of the vice Presidents of the Commission is appointed by the European Council to the position of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy recently created by the Treaty of Lisbon after consultation with the President of the Commission. High Representative carries out the EU’s common foreign and security policy according to the directions of the EU Council and his/her own contribution. Josep Borrell is the current High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy whose term started on December 1, 2019.

Having its headquarters in Brussels; the Commission also has offices in Luxembourg, representatives in foreign countries and delegations in multiple capital cities of the world.

Further information can be found on the official website of the European Commission

 

EUROPEAN COUNCIL

The European Council is organized as a meeting (EU Summit) attended by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in addition to the prime ministers or heads of state of the Member States. The President of the European Council presides over the meetings. Established with official status in 1992, European Council became one of the seven official institutions of the EU after the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force. EU Summits are held at least four times a year.

European Council does not possess legislative authority. However, as a meeting where the highest-level representatives of the Member States are present, it exerts significant influence on shaping the policies of the Union. Medium and long-term policies of the EU are determined, priorities in integration and enlargement are established.

Another significant change brought about by the Treaty of Lisbon is the appointment of a President of the European Council by member countries for a term of 2.5 years. The President is elected by a qualified majority and can have their term extended once. The duties of the President include representing the Union in external relations. S/he cannot engage in national politics during his/her term of duty.

Former Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy was appointed as the first permanent President of the European Council on November 19, 2009, during an informal summit of EU Heads of State and Government, and he served until November 30, 2014. On December 1, 2014, former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was appointed as the President of the European Council and served until November 30, 2019. Since December 1, 2019, former Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has been serving as the President of the European Council.

An important point to underline here is the concept confusion that arises when translating institution names into Turkish. In English, the "European Council"(Conseil Européen in French) is the institution where the heads of state and government of EU member countries come together for summits. A suitable translation for this would be "Avrupa Birliği Zirvesi – AB Devlet ve Hükümet Başkanları Konseyi" in Turkish. The institution mentioned below, the Council of the European Union, corresponds to "Conseil de l’Union européenne" in French and “Avrupa Birliği Konseyi” in Turkish.  

The international organization founded in 1949, headquartered in Strasbourg, with 47 member countries, including Türkiye, is the Council of Europe (Conseil de lEurope).

Further information can be found on the official website of the European Council.

 

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Council of the European Union is one of the seven main institutions of the EU and serves as the primary decision-making body within the Union. Its members are the ministers serving in the governments of the Member States, thereby representing the interests of the Member States.

Each EU member country takes on the presidency of the Council for six months on a rotating basis. To ensure continuity and consistency, trio presidency system, which three countries hold the presidency for 18 months, was introduced with the Treaty of Lisbon. The first trio served was composed of Spain, Belgium and Hungary which took the post from January 2010 to July 2011.

The fundamental responsibilities of the Council of the European Union include sharing legislative activities with the European Parliament in many areas (see Decision-making process); coordinating the general economic policies of the Member States; approving the EU budget (with the European Parliament jointly); signing international agreements between the EU and other countries and international organizations; shaping the EUs Common Foreign and Security Policy along with the European Council; and promoting cooperation among national courts and police forces in criminal matters.

Council meetings are held among relevant ministers of member countries based on the topics on the agenda, initiated by the Council President or at the request of Commission members. For example, if issues related to agriculture and fisheries are to be discussed, the agriculture and fisheries ministers of the member countries convene as the "Agriculture and Fisheries Council." Council meetings are prepared by the Committee (Committee of Permanent Representatives - Comité des Représentants Permanents - COREPER), which consists of permanent representatives of member countries.

The Council meets in 10 different configurations:

-General Affairs Council
-Foreign Affairs Council
-Economic and Financial Affairs Council
-Justice and Home Affairs Council
-Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
-Competitiveness Council
-Agriculture and Fisheries Council
-Transport, Telecommunications, and Energy Council
-Environment Council
-Education, Youth, Culture, and Sport Council

Decisions in the Council are made through three different procedures: unanimity, qualified majority, and simple majority. With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on December 1, 2009, the main voting procedure in the Council was changed to qualified majority. Approximately 80% of decisions are taken by using this method. However, unanimity is still required for exceptional cases such as the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the accession of new members. Parallel to the provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon, a "double majority" requirement has been in effect in the EU Council since November 1, 2014. Under this system, decisions in the Council require the approval of at least 55% of member countries representing at least 65% of the total EU population (i.e., 15 out of 27 member countries) to be adopted. Additionally, at least four member countries must not object to a decision for it to be considered blocked. This new system increases the importance of the population of member countries in decision-making.

Further information can be found on the official website of the Council of the European Union.

 

COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

The Court of Justice of the European Union, whose headquarters is located in Luxembourg, has two primary missions. The first is to ensure a uniform interpretation and application of the European Law in every member country, and the second is to assure that member countries and European Union institutions comply with the European Law. In addition to these missions, others include regulating the relations between member countries legal systems and European legal order, legal audit, interpretation, dispute resolution, interstitial law-making, and filling the legal gaps. The Court of Justice of the European Union, established in 1952, functions as the sole judicial body of the Union and its decisions are binding on all member states.

The Court of Justice of the European Union consists of two bodies: the Court of Justice and the General Court. The Court of Justice is composed of 27 judges, one from each member state and 11 legal spokespersons. In addition to the preliminary ruling requests by the member states’ national courts, the court deals with specific annulment cases and appeals. The General Court is composed of 54 judges, two from each member state. This courts jurisdiction includes cases of individuals, corporations, and some instances of annulment brought by EU institutions. In practice, trade, agriculture, and competition law constitute the issues this court regulates.

The judges and the legal spokespersons are appointed for six years by their national governments concurrence, and this term can be renewed. Both the Court of Justice and the General Court elect a president to operate for three years, which can also be extended.

Further information can be found on the official website of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

 

EUROPEAN COURT OF AUDITORS

The primary mission of the European Court of Auditors, located in Luxembourg, is to secure the proper utilization of the budget of the European Union. In this regard, the European Court of Auditors has the right to inspect the documents of all institutions managing EU revenues and expenditures and subject them to audits whenever necessary. The aim is to assure financial stability by verifying that the revenues and expenditures are in accordance with legal regulations.

Accountability, transparency and concrete financial management constitute the main objectives of the European Court of Auditors. Nevertheless, its purpose includes increasing the level of trust of the European citizens in European institutions and the EU and strengthening the EU against current and future challenges.

It prepares a report on the prior fiscal year and delivers it to the European Parliament and the Council every year. This annual report plays a vital role in the decision to adopt the budget. Also, the Court of Auditors provides opinions before the adoption of EU financial regulations.

The European Court of Auditors, with one delegate from each Member State, is elected with the approval of the European Parliament and currently has 27 members. Elected members, for a six-year term, are expected to have served in similar institutions in their home countries.

Further information can be found on the official website of European Court of Auditors.

 

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

Based on the Maastricht Treaty, the primary objective of the European Central Bank, established in 1998 in the German city of Frankfurt, is to guarantee price stability in the Eurozone. The decision-making bodies of the European Central Bank are the Executive Board, the Governing Council, and the General Council.

Maintaining inflation at low, stable, and predictable levels is the prior focus in attaining price stability for the Bank. European Central Bank is the sole institution permitted to issue euro banknotes in the Eurozone.

European Central Bank is an independent European institution, and according to this definition, it is responsible for developing and executing the EUs monetary policy, conducting foreign exchange operations, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the payment system. In doing so, the Bank operates with the European Central Bank System, which includes every European member country and implements the decisions of the Eurosystems decision-making bodies.

The European Central Bank does not operate under any order. No other institution can give instructions to the central banks operating in the Euro System and therefore cannot interfere with the decision-making bodies of the Euro System.

Christine Lagarde has been the president of the European Central Bank since 2019.

Further information can be found on the official website of European Central Bank

 

OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE

The Economic and Social Committee is an advisory body based in Brussels. It represents the views and interests of civil society, including employers, trade unions, farmers, consumers, and other interest groups. With this characteristic, it is an integral part of the EU decision-making process.

When decisions are taken in economic and social policy, the Committee, which needs to be consulted, can also provide its opinions on matters it deems crucial through its initiative. Committee members are appointed by the Council from among the candidates suggested by Member States for a term of five years, which can be renewed. The presidency of the Committee, which currently has 329 members, is chosen for two and a half years. Oliver Röpke took the position of President of the Economic and Social Committee in 2023.

Further information can be found on the official website of the European Economic and Social Committee.

 

 

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Similarly to the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions is an advisory body that assures the consideration of regional and local opinions in the EU decision-making process. When decisions are made on issues affecting local and regional governance, such as regional policy, environment, education, youth, and transportation, it is essential to consult the Committee of the Regions. The Committee can also deliver its opinions on these matters through its initiative.

Established in 1994 by the Maastricht Treaty, the Committee of the Regions is composed of 329 regional and local officials (such as regional presidents, regional parliamentarians, municipal council members, and mayors) appointed by the Council for a period of 5 years based on the advice of member countries.

Sharing the same building in Brussels with the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions plays a substantial role within the Union in demonstrating how EU policies impact the lives of citizens and in ensuring that the local view is heard and taken into account in forming EU policies. Vasco Cordeiro, who started the position in 2022, is the current president of the Committee.

Further information can be found on the official website of the European Committee of the Regions.

 

EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK 

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is a autonomous and non-profit institution of the European Union that provides credit for investment projects to contribute to the balanced development of the EU. The EIBs primary objective is to support the well-rounded development of the EU. In addition, its missions include financing credits for developing Trans-European transport and telecommunications networks, environmental protection, ensuring the sustainability of energy resources, and enhancing the international competitiveness of European industry.

The EIB also supports projects not only aimed at the development of economically underprivileged regions within the EU but also in countries beyond the EU, including the Mediterranean, Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific, Latin America, and Asia. The EIB is headquartered in Luxembourg and is financed through borrowing from financial markets and capital grants from EU member states proportional to their economic size. It has offices in several cities within and outside the EU, including Istanbul and Ankara.

The EIB is governed by the Board of Governors, consisting of finance ministers from member countries, and it is managed by the Board of Directors, which possesses one representative from each member country and one from the European Commission. Werner Hoyer has been serving as the President of the European Investment Bank since 2012.

Further information can be found on the official website of the European Investment Bank

 

EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

The European Ombudsman is an institution established in 1995 through the Maastricht Treaty. It investigates complaints made by EU citizens, businesses, institutions, or individuals residing in any EU member state against EU institutions (except for the European Court of Justice). The right to appeal to the Ombudsman is one of the citizenship rights within the EU. The major areas of interest for the European Ombudsman include transparency, ethical matters, respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms, and the participation of EU citizens in the governance and politics of the Union.

The European Ombudsman is elected by the European Parliament (EP) for five years. The Ombudsmans independence is ensured by the treaties, and s/he can be dismissed from the office by the European Court of Justice at the demand of the EP.

The Ombudsman can initiate investigations on their initiative or examine complaints submitted directly or through a MEP. Emily OReilly has been serving as the European Ombudsman since 2013.

Further information can be found on the official website of the European Ombudsman.

 

In addition to these institutions and bodies, the European External Action Service (EEAS) was established in 2011 and operates as the diplomatic service of the EU. It helps the High Representative to implement the Unions standard foreign and security policy. The European Data Protection Board, established in 2018, is responsible for enforcing the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and related directives. Besides these institutions, there are various agencies in different domains, including technical, scientific, and administrative areas, that operate within the EU (such as the European Environment Agency, EUROPOL, Eurojust, etc.). 

For information on all institutions, organizations, and agencies within the EU, you can click here.