Editing European Union (section)

===Branches of power===
{{Main|Bodies of the European Union and the Euratom}}

====Executive branch====
{{Main|European Council|European Commission}}

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The Union's executive branch is organised as a [[directorial system]], where the executive power is jointly exercised by several people. The executive branch consists of the European Council and European Commission.

<!-- European Council -->
The European Council sets the broad political direction of the Union. It convenes at least four times a year and comprises the [[president of the European Council]] (presently [[António Costa]]), the [[president of the European Commission]] and one representative per [[member state of the European Union|member state]] (either its [[head of state]] or [[head of government]]). The [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy]] (presently [[Kaja Kallas]]) also takes part in its meetings. Described by some as the union's "supreme political leadership",<ref name="How work">{{Cite book |url=http://europa.eu/abc/12lessons/lesson_4/index_en.htm |title=How does the EU work |publisher=Europa (web portal) |year=2012 |isbn=9789279205125 |access-date=12 July 2007}}</ref> it is actively involved in the negotiation of [[Treaties of the European Union|treaty changes]] and defines the EU's policy agenda and strategies. Its leadership role involves solving disputes between member states and the institutions, and to resolving any political crises or disagreements over controversial issues and policies. It acts as a "[[head of state|collective head of state]]" and [[ratification|ratifies]] important documents (for example, international agreements and treaties).<ref name="Oxford University Press">{{Cite book |last1=Parsons |first1=Craig |url={{GBurl|id=aMsWxEnaqrUC|p=146}} |title=With US Or Against US?: European Trends in American Perspective |last2=Jabko |first2=Nicolas |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-928395-8 |page=146 |language=en |quote=Fourth, the European Council acts a "collective head of state" for the EU.}}</ref> Tasks for the president of the European Council are ensuring the external representation of the EU,<ref name="Council Press Release">{{Cite web |date=24 November 2009 |title=President of the European Council |url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/111298.pdf |access-date=24 November 2009 |publisher=General Secretariat of the Council of the EU}}</ref> driving consensus and resolving divergences among member states, both during meetings of the European Council and over the periods between them. The European Council should not be mistaken for the [[Council of Europe]], an international organisation independent of the EU and based in Strasbourg.

<!-- European Commission -->
The [[European Commission]] acts both as the EU's [[executive (government)|executive arm]], responsible for the day-to-day running of the EU, and also the [[Right of initiative (legislative)|legislative initiator]], with the sole power to propose laws for debate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Legislative powers |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/en/powers-and-procedures/legislative-powers |access-date=13 February 2019 |website=European Parliament}}</ref><ref name="Library of European Parliament">{{Cite web |date=24 October 2013 |title=Parliament's legislative initiative |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/bibliotheque/briefing/2013/130619/LDM_BRI(2013)130619_REV2_EN.pdf |access-date=13 February 2019 |website=Library of the European Parliament}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 April 2019 |title=Planning and proposing law |url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-making-process/planning-and-proposing-law_en |website=European Commission}}</ref> The commission is 'guardian of the Treaties' and is responsible for their efficient operation and policing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guardian of the Treaties |url=https://www.cvce.eu/en/education/unit-content/-/unit/d5906df5-4f83-4603-85f7-0cabc24b9fe1/28d57ad3-6f5e-4f9c-82a8-be9535febad5 |access-date=8 June 2019 |website=CVCE Education Unit |publisher=University of Luxembourg}}</ref> It has 27 [[European Commissioner|European commissioners]] for different areas of policy, one from each member state, though commissioners are bound to represent the interests of the EU as a whole rather than their home state. The leader of the 27 is the [[president of the European Commission]] (presently [[Ursula von der Leyen]] for 2019{{ndash}}2024, reelected for the 2024–2029 term), [[President of the European Commission#Appointment|proposed by the European Council]], following and taking into account the result of the European elections, and is then elected by the European Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elections and appointments |url=https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/leadership/elections-and-appointments_en |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=European Union}}</ref> The President retains, as the leader responsible for the entire cabinet, the final say in accepting or rejecting a candidate submitted for a given portfolio by a member state, and oversees the commission's permanent civil service. After the President, the most prominent commissioner is the high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy, who is ''ex-officio'' a [[Vice-President of the European Commission|vice-president of the European Commission]] and is also chosen by the European Council.<ref>[[s:Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union/Title III: Provisions on the Institutions#Article 17|Treaty on European Union: Article 17:7]]</ref> The other 25 commissioners are subsequently appointed by the [[Council of the European Union]] in agreement with the nominated president. The 27 commissioners as a single body are subject to approval (or otherwise) by a vote of the [[European Parliament]]. All commissioners are first nominated by the government of the respective member state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=European commission |url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/european_government/eu_institutions/european_commission.html |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=Citizens Information Ireland}}</ref>

====Legislative branch====
{{Main|Council of the European Union|European Parliament}}

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<!-- Council of the European Union -->
The council, as it is now simply called<ref>{{Cite web |title=Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A12012E%2FTXT |access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref> (also called the Council of the European Union<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/ |access-date=21 December 2022 |website=www.consilium.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> and the "Council of Ministers", its former title),<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 January 2010 |title=Institutional affairs: Council of the European Union |url=http://europa.eu/pol/inst/index_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112155537/http://europa.eu/pol/inst/index_en.htm |archive-date=12 January 2010 |access-date=16 January 2010 |website=Europa |publisher=European Commission |quote=It is commonly called the Council of Ministers}}.</ref> forms one half of the EU's legislature. It consists of a representative from each member state's government and meets in [[Council of the European Union#Configurations|different compositions depending on the policy area being addressed]]. Notwithstanding its different configurations, it is considered to be one single body. In addition to the legislative functions, members of the council also have [[Executive (government)|executive]] responsibilities, such as the development of a [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]] and the coordination of broad economic policies within the Union.<ref name="Europa Institutions Council">{{Cite web |title=Institutions: The Council of the European Union |url=http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/council/index_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703155822/http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/council/index_en.htm |archive-date=3 July 2007 |access-date=25 June 2007 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref> The [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union|Presidency of the council]] rotates between member states, with each holding it for six months. Beginning on 1 July 2024, the position is held by Hungary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hungarian-presidency.consilium.europa.eu/en/|title=Hungarian presidency Council of the European Union|access-date=1 July 2024|publisher=Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union}}</ref>

<!-- European Parliament -->
The European Parliament is one of three [[Legislature of the European Union|legislative institutions]] of the EU, which together with the [[Council of the European Union]] is tasked with amending and approving the European Commission's proposals. 705 [[Member of the European Parliament|members of the European Parliament]] (MEPs) are directly [[Elections in the European Union|elected]] by [[Citizenship of the European Union|EU citizens]] every five years on the basis of [[proportional representation]]. MEPs are elected on a national basis and they sit according to [[Political groups of the European Parliament|political groups]] rather than their nationality. Each country has a set number of seats and is divided into [[European Parliament constituency|sub-national constituencies]] where this does not affect the proportional nature of the voting system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wellfire Interactive |date=9 March 2009 |title=MEPs must be elected on the basis of proportional representation, the threshold must not exceed 5%, and the electoral area may be subdivided in constituencies if this will not generally affect the proportional nature of the voting system |url=http://www.fairvote.org/european-parliament-to-be-elected-with-proportional-representation-systems |access-date=26 November 2010 |publisher=Fairvote.org}}</ref> In the [[ordinary legislative procedure]], the European Commission proposes legislation, which requires the joint approval of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to pass. This process applies to nearly all areas, including the [[budget of the European Union|EU budget]]. The parliament is the final body to approve or reject the proposed membership of the commission, and can attempt motions of censure on the commission by appeal to the [[European Court of Justice|Court of Justice]]. The [[president of the European Parliament]] carries out the role of speaker in Parliament and represents it externally. The president and [[Vice President of the European Parliament|vice-presidents]] are elected by MEPs every two and a half years.<ref name="Europa Institutions Parliament">{{Cite web |title=Institutions: The European Parliament |url=http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/parliament/index_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070624114722/http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/parliament/index_en.htm |archive-date=24 June 2007 |access-date=25 June 2007 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref>

====Judicial branch====
{{Main|Court of Justice of the European Union}}

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<!-- Court of Justice -->
The [[judicial branch]] of the European Union is formally called the [[Court of Justice of the European Union]] (CJEU) and consists of two courts: the [[European Court of Justice|Court of Justice]] and the [[General Court (European Union)|General Court]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Article 19 of the Treaty on European Union |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:083:0013:0046:EN:PDF |access-date=31 October 2010 |publisher=eur-lex.europa.eu}}</ref> The [[European Court of Justice|Court of Justice]] is the [[supreme court]] of the European Union in matters of [[European Union law]]. As a part of the CJEU, it is tasked with interpreting EU law and ensuring its uniform application across all [[Member state of the European Union|EU member states]] under Article 263 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The Court was established in 1952, and is based in [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]]. It is composed of one judge per [[Member state of the European Union|member state]] – currently 27 – although it normally hears cases in panels of three, five or fifteen judges. The Court has been led by president [[Koen Lenaerts]] since 2015. The CJEU is the highest court of the European Union in matters of [[European Union law|Union law]]. Its case-law provides that EU law has supremacy over any national law that is inconsistent with EU law.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Judgment of the Court of 15 July 1964 in the case of Flaminio Costa v E.N.E.L. |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A61964CJ0006}}</ref> It is not possible to appeal against the decisions of national courts in the CJEU, but rather national courts refer questions of EU law to the CJEU. However, it is ultimately for the national court to apply the resulting interpretation to the facts of any given case. Although, only courts of final appeal are bound to refer a question of EU law when one is addressed. The treaties give the CJEU the power for consistent application of EU law across the EU as a whole. The court also acts as an administrative and constitutional court between the other EU institutions and the Member States and can annul or invalidate unlawful acts of EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies.

<!-- General Court -->
The [[General Court (European Union)|General Court]] is a constituent court of the European Union. It hears actions taken against the [[institutions of the European Union]] by individuals and member states, although certain matters are reserved for the Court of Justice. Decisions of the General Court can be appealed to the Court of Justice, but only on a point of law. Prior to the coming into force of the [[Lisbon Treaty]] on 1 December 2009, it was known as the Court of First Instance.

====Additional branches====
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2023}}
<!-- Monetary branch -->
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The [[European Central Bank]] (ECB) is one of the institutions of the [[central bank|monetary branch]] of the European Union, the prime component of the [[Eurosystem]] and the European System of Central Banks. It is one of the world's [[Big Four (banking)#International use|most important central banks]]. The [[Governing Council of the European Central Bank|ECB Governing Council]] makes [[monetary policy]] for the [[eurozone]] and the European Union, administers the [[foreign exchange reserves]] of EU member states, engages in foreign exchange operations, and defines the intermediate monetary objectives and key interest rate of the EU. The [[Executive Board of the European Central Bank|ECB Executive Board]] enforces the policies and decisions of the Governing Council, and may direct the national central banks when doing so. The ECB has the exclusive right to authorise the issuance of [[euro banknotes]]. Member states can issue [[euro coins]], but the volume must be approved by the ECB beforehand. The bank also operates the [[T2 (RTGS)]] payments system. The [[European System of Central Banks]] (ESCB) consists of the ECB and the national central banks (NCBs) of all 27 member states of the European Union. The ESCB is not the monetary authority of the eurozone, because not all EU member states have joined the euro. The ESCB's objective is price stability throughout the European Union. Secondarily, the ESCB's goal is to improve monetary and financial cooperation between the Eurosystem and member states outside the eurozone.

<!-- Others -->
The [[European Court of Auditors]] (ECA) is the [[supreme audit institution|auditory branch]] of the European Union. It was established in 1975 in [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]] in order to improve EU financial management. It has 27 members (1 from each EU member-state) supported by approximately 800 civil servants. The [[European Personnel Selection Office]] (EPSO) is the EU's [[civil service commission|civil service recruitment body]] and operates its selection of candidates via generalist and specialist competitions. Each institution is then able to recruit staff from among the pool of candidates selected by EPSO. On average, EPSO receives around 60,000–70,000 applications a year with around 1,500–2,000 candidates recruited by the European Union institutions. The [[European Ombudsman]] is the [[ombudsman|ombudsman branch]] of the European Union that holds the institutions, bodies and agencies of the EU to account, and promotes good administration. The Ombudsman helps people, businesses and organisations facing problems with the EU administration by investigating complaints, as well as by proactively looking into broader systemic issues. The current Ombudsman is [[Emily O'Reilly]]. The [[European Public Prosecutor's Office]] (EPPO) is the [[attorney general|prosecutory branch]] of the union with juridical personality, established under the Treaty of Lisbon between 23 of the 27 states of the EU following the method of enhanced cooperation. It is based in Kirchberg, Luxembourg City alongside the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Auditors