How does the EU work?

There are a series of institutions which govern the day-to-day functioning of the European Union:

The European Council

The European Council meets quarterly to set the EU's agenda and priorities. It provides the EU with strategic direction and impetus. European Council conclusions signal the future course of action for the EU. The Council is formed by the presidents or prime ministers of each member state, also bringing together their foreign ministers and the President of the European Commission.

The EU Presidency

The EU Presidency is occupied by a member state rather than an individual. It rotates between member states on a pre-arranged basis every six months.

The member state with the EU Presidency will chair the meetings of both the European Council and the Council of Ministers, as well as the official level meetings that prepare for these Councils. It will have the opportunity to set the agenda for the EU in this six month period, though any decisions must be approved by the normal voting processes.

Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the EU.

The Council of Ministers

This is the EU's most important decision-making body. Its main task is to approve European laws. Though a single institution, the Council meets in a variety of configurations: for instance the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) and the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin). These councils are formed by ministers from each member state, usually with a national responsibility for the subject under discussion.

The European Commission

The Commission implements the agenda set by the European Council, by developing and drafting legislation or other non-legislative measures and monitoring implementation. The Commission is the executive body of the European Community (similar to the UK's civil service). It is based in Brussels and is organised in 24 directorates, each led by a European Commissioner.

The European Parliament

Is selected directly for a five year term by the populations of the member states. The elections use a system of proportional representation. There are currently 736 MEPS (the UK has 72). MEPs sit in political groups and not as national delegations.

MEPs must consider most of the laws proposed by the Commission before they are submitted to the Council of Ministers, they monitor the actions of other EU bodies, and they approve the EU’s budget. They can also hold the Commission to account.

Who are the UK's MEPs?

The UK is divided into twelve electoral regions made up of the nations and regions of the UK. Each region has between three and ten MEPs and each MEP in a region represents each person living there. The UK Office of the European Parliament lists all UK MEP's contact details.

The European Court of Justice

The European Court of Justice is comprised of judges appointed by each member country. The 25 judges are assisted by nine Advocates General. The court exists to ensure that laws passed at a European level are applied and interpreted correctly. In certain circumstances individuals can also bring proceedings against EU institutions before the ECJ.

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