The European Union (EU) is not a federation like the United States, nor simply an organization for cooperation between governments, like the United Nations. Indeed, it is a unique organization. The countries that make up the EU ("Member States") to pool their sovereignty in order to gain a strength and world influence none of them could have alone.
In practice, Pooling sovereignty means that member states delegate some of their decision-making institutions common they have created, so that decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made democratically at European level.
The EU decision-making in general and the co-decision procedure, in particular, involve the participation of three main institutions:
- the European Parliament (EP) , representing the citizens and is directly elected by them;
- the Council of the European Union, which represents the individual Member States;
- The European Commission, which has the task of defending the interests of the Union.
This 'institutional triangle' produces the policies and laws that apply throughout the EU. As a rule, the Commission is to propose new laws, but it is the Parliament and the Council adopt them. The Commission and Member States shall apply the laws then, and the Commission enforces.
Of vital importance is the role played by two other institutions: the Court of Justice upholds the rule of law, and the Court accounts of which has a function of control over financing of the Union.
The powers and responsibilities of these institutions are laid down in the Treaties, which are the basis for all EU activities. They also lay down rules and procedures that the EU institutions are obliged to follow. The Treaties are agreed by the presidents and / or prime ministers of all EU countries and ratified by their parliaments.
addition to these institutions, the EU has a number of other bodies that perform specialized functions:
- The Committee Economic and Social Committee represents civil society, employers and workers;
- The Committee of the Regions represents regional and local
- the European Investment Bank finances EU investment projects, and supports small and medium-sized enterprises through the European Investment Bank;
- The European Central Bank is responsible for European monetary policy;
- the European Ombudsman considers complaints about maladministration by the institutions and bodies of 'EU
- the European Data Protection Supervisor safeguards the privacy of citizens' personal data;
- ; the Office for Official Publications of the European public information about the EU;
- the Office of the European Communities Personnel Selection Office recruits staff for the institutions and other bodies.
- the European School of Management is responsible to provide staff training in specific areas of the EU.
have also been established with the specialized agencies to handle certain tasks in technical, scientific or directional.
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