Institutions of the European Union

European Parliament - Legislative (lower house) -

European Council - Sets impetus and direction -

Council of the European Union - Legislative (upper house) -

European Commission - Executive -

· acts together with the Council as alegislator · shares with the Council the budgetary power and decides in the last instance on the general budget of the EU · exerts the democratic control over EU institutions including the European Commission and appoints the Commission members · based and plenary sessions inStrasbourg, General Secretariat inLuxembourg, primarily meets in Brussels

· summit of the Heads of Government, chaired by the President of the European Council) · gives the necessary impetus for the development and sets out general objectives and priorities · will not legislate · based in Brussels

· acts together with the Parliament as alegislator · exerts together with the Parliament the budgetary power · ensures coordination of the broad economic and social policy and sets out guidelines for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) · conclude international agreements · based in Brussels

· is the "government" · submits proposals for new legislation to the Parliament and to the Council · implements EU policy and administers the budget · ensures compliance with EU law · negotiates international treaties · based in Brussels

	Court of Justice of the European Union - Judiciary -		European Court of Auditors - Financial auditor -	European Central Bank - Monetary executive (central bank) -

· ensure uniformity of interpretation ofEuropean law · has the power to decide legal disputes between EU member states, EU institutions, businesses and individuals · based in Luxembourg	· examines the proper use of revenue and expenditure of the EU institutions (see alsoBudget of the European Union) · based in Luxembourg	· forms together with the national central banks the European System of Central Banks and thereby determining themonetary policy of the EU · ensures price stability in the euro zone by controlling the money supply · based in Frankfurt