DGs are themselves divided into Directorates and Units. In total, the European Commission has around 30 employees. It is the forum in which national ministers from each country meet to adopt law.
For instance, if the topic to discuss is employment, then it will be the 28 national ministers for employment who meet. The Council is a co-legislator with the European Parliament, the two institutions working together to adopt EU legislation. Decisions are taken by unanimity or a process called Qualified Majority Voting in which each Member State has a weighted number of votes.
The Council can meet in ten different configurations covering all the subject areas with which the Council is concerned.
The presidency of the Council changes every six months. It entails a coordination role. The presidency prepares the agenda meetings and facilitates the exchanges.
Democracy and human rights. Go to the page : Democracy and human rights. EP in the past. Go to the page : EP in the past. At your service. Visit the website. The EC consists of 28 members appointed by their national governments, but who do not represent them. Each Commissioner is responsible for a particular policy area and is expected to perform his responsibilities with complete impartiality and independence from the respective Member State during his term of office.
The term of office of Commissioners can only be terminated at their own wish or by order of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The work of the Commissioners is divided into the following policy areas: justice, fundamental rights and citizenship; competition; transport; the digital agenda; industry and entrepreneurship; inter-institutional relations and administration; the environment; economic and monetary affairs; development; the internal market and services; education, culture, multilingualism and youth; taxation and customs union, audit and the fight against fraud; trade; health and consumer affairs; research, innovation and science; financial programming and budget; maritime affairs and fisheries; international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response; energy; regional policy; climate action; enlargement and neighbourhood policy; employment, social affairs and inclusion; internal affairs; agriculture and rural development.
The Commission works in Brussels and decides collegiately, meaning that the powers which are conferred on it by EU law belong to all its members collectively and should be expressed in the form of proposals for directives, draft regulations, recommendations or opinions resulting from a collegiate decision adopted at a formally convened meeting of the Commission at which decisions are taken by a majority of its members.
Portugal has designated one European Commissioner since its accession, in These were the previous Portuguese Commissioners:.
The EC consists of 27 members appointed by their national governments, but who do not represent them. Court of Justice of the European Union. The Court has various remedies for upholding the democratic legitimacy and legality of cases that are brought before it. The five most common types of cases are:. Similarly, a Member State may bring an action against another Member State, if the Commission fails to do so.
The consequences of failure to fulfil an obligation were laid down in the Treaty of Maastricht which provides for the possibility of sanctions against the offending Member State. Under such actions, the legality of legislative acts or legal acts that produce effects on third parties is referred for consideration by the Court.
The Court has jurisdiction to hear actions on grounds of lack of competence, breach of essential formalities, infringement of the Treaties or of any legal provision relating to its application. If they do not do so, the Member States, other European institutions and, in certain cases, citizens, companies or organisations can apply to the Court for a declaration of the omission.
The Court of Justice of the European Union, which sits in Luxembourg, is composed of 28 judges, one from each Member State, and nine advocates-general. The judges and advocates-general are appointed by agreement between the Member States for a term of six years, which is renewable. They must be chosen from among persons who hold senior positions of prestige and competence in their countries of origin and may not take instructions from national governments or individuals, nor hold any political or government office or have another occupation, even if unpaid.
The advocates-general assist the Court by examining the arguments of the various parties and the evidence, and prepare the draft decision known as the "Opinion of the Advocate-General". Under the Treaty of Lisbon, the Court of Justice has jurisdiction to hear actions for breach of the principle of subsidiarity in relation to legislative acts brought by a Member State in its own name or on behalf of its national Parliament.
European Court of Auditors. The European Court of Auditors ECA is an independent body which decides freely on the organisation and timing of its audits. It is required to provide a report on the accounts of the European Union to the European Parliament and the Council, and may issue opinions on the financial implications of a proposal for a legislative act by the institutions.
However, the ECA has no legal powers of its own. It issues opinions and conducts audits of the financial management of EU funds, which are presented in reports which it sends to the competent EU institutions.
The members of the Court must be completely independent of the Member States. In addition, they must fulfil their role on an exclusive basis and may not have any other occupation. The Court cooperates with national services and the European institutions. It may also request any information required for the performance of its role from EU institutions and bodies, organisations receiving payments from the EU budget or national audit bodies.
At the end of each year, the Court of Auditors prepares a report on the management of the EU budget by the competent institutions. The report is sent to the other EU institutions and subsequently published in the Official Journal of the European Union and must contain the replies of the institutions to the Court's observations.
European Central Bank. It was created within the framework of the introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union EMU with the adoption of the euro 1 June The Presidency of the Council is shared by the member states on a rotating basis. In principle, the Commission proposes new laws, and the Parliament and Council adopt them.
The Commission and the member countries then implement them, and the Commission ensures that the laws are properly applied and implemented.
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