The European Union decides about the economy of the countries part of the bloc and it is the result of a long process that began with the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. How is the European Union governed? Who takes decision? Who controls the respect of the laws? We analized remits and competences of each single official organ of European Union.

The Council of the EU

The Council consists of ministers representing the member states.The Council is the EU institution where the Member States' government representatives sit, i.e. the ministers of each Member State with responsibility for a given area. It adopts legislative acts (Regulations, Directives, etc.), in many cases in "co-decision" with the European Parliament. The council has the responsability of various remits. The Council helps coordinate Member States' policies, for example, in the economic field and it develops the common foreign and security policy, on the basis of strategic guidelines set by the European Council. Moreover it concludes international agreements on behalf of the Union and adopts the Union's budget, together with the European Parliament. The number of votes each Member State can cast is set by the Treaties. The Treaties also define the cases in which a simple majority, qualified majority or unanimity are required.

The European Council

The European Council defines general political guidelines and it takes decisions that require resolution or impulsion at that political level, sometimes because ministers have been unable to resolve an issue in the Council. The European Council consists of the Heads of State or Government of the Member States, together with its President and the President of the Commission. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Policy takes part in its work. When the agenda so requires, the members of the European Council may decide each to be assisted by a minister and, in the case of the President of the Commission, by a member of the Commission. The European Council decides by consensus, except if the Treaties provide otherwise. In some cases, it adopts decisions by unanimity or by qualified majority, depending on what the Treaty provides for. The presidents of the European Council and Commission, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy do not have a vote. The European Council began informally in 1974 as a forum for discussion between EU leaders. It rapidly developed into the body which fixed goals and priorities for the bloc. Acquiring formal status in 1992, in 2009 it became one of the EU’s 7 official institutions. Herman Van Rompuy is the President of the European Council. His term of office began on 1 December 2009 and runs until 31 May 2012. The European Council elects its President by qualified majority. The President's term of office is two and a half years, renewable once. The European Council meets at least every 6 months usually in Brussels though its president can convene a special meeting if needed.

The European Parliament

The 736 Member of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected once every five years by voters right across the 27 Member States of the European Union on behalf of its 500 million citizens. They are democratically elected by direct universal suffrage. The President is elected for a renewable term of two and a half years, The President represents the European Parliament vis-à-vis the outside world and in its relations with the other EU instittions. The Members of the European Parliament sit in political groups – they are not organised by nationality, but by political affiliation. There are currently 7 political groups in the European Parliament. 25 Members are needed to form a political group, and at least one-quarter of the Member States must be represented within the group. Members may not belong to more than one political group. In order to do the preparatory work for Parliament’s plenary sittings, the Members are divided up among a number of specialised standing committees. The Delegations maintain and develop the European Parliament's international contacts, particularly relations with Parliaments in third countries. They also contribute to the promotion of the values that are fundamental to the European Union in those countries. The European Parliament has three main roles.It debates and passes European laws, with the Council and scrutinises other EU institutions, particularly the Commission, to make sure they are working democratically. Moreover it debates and adopts the EU's budget, with the Council.

European Commission

The Treaty of Rome gives to the Commission the sole right of legislative initiative, that is, to propose the text for laws to the Parliament and the Council. Due its remit, the Commission was often called “the motor of the Community”. The Commission has also been called the “watchdog” because it has to ensure that the community's treaty and laws are applied. The treaty of Rome requires also that its independence of any outside interests be “beyond doubt”. The 27 Commissioners , one from each EU country, provide the Commission’s political leadership during their 5-year term. Each Commissioner is assigned responsibility for specific policy areas by the President. The current President of the European Commission is José Manuel Barroso who began his second term of office in February 2010. The President is nominated by the European Council. The Council also appoints the other Commissioners in agreement with the nominated President. The Commission is in Brussels and Luxembourg and has offices (representations) in every EU country and delegations in capital cities around the world. Alongside the Parliament and the Council, the Community has two advisory bodies: the European Economic and Social Committee (Eesc) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR).

Committee of the Regions

The Committee of the Regions is an advisory body representing local and regional authorities in the European Union. The role of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) is to put forward local and regional points of view on EU legislation. The Committee of the Regions currently has 344 members (and as many alternate members) from all 27 EU countries. The CoR holds five plenary sessions each year, to define general policy and adopt opinions. There are six ‘commissions’ to consider different policy areas and prepare the opinions to be debated in the plenary sessions such as territorial cohesion, economic and social policy, education, youth and research,environment, climate change and energy, citizenship, governance, institutional, external affairs and natural resources.

The European Economic

and Social Committee (Eesc) The European Economic and Social Committee was established in 1957 as a forum to discuss issues regarding the single market. The EESC gives Europe's interest groups –trade unionists, employers, farmers – a formal say on EU legislative proposals. On average the EESC delivers 170 advisory documents and opinions a year. All opinions are forwarded to the EU decision-making bodies and then published in the EU's Official Journal. The European Economic and Social Committee has 344 members drawn from economic and social interest groups across Europe. Members are nominated by national governments and appointed by the Council of the European Union for a renewable 5-year term.

Court of auditors Its role is to improve EU financial management and report on the use of public funds. It was set up in 1975 and is based in Luxembourg. the Court of Auditors has the right to check ('audit') any person or organisation handling EU funds. The Court frequently carries out on-the-spot checks. Its findings are written up in reports submitted to the Commission and EU national governments. The Court of Auditors has no legal powers of its own. If auditors discover fraud or irregularities they inform OLAF -the European Anti-Fraud Office. The Court has one member from each EU country appointed by the Council for a six-year term (renewable). The members elect one of their number as President for a term of three years (also renewable). Vítor Manuel da Silva Caldeira, from Portugal, was elected President in January 2008.

Court of justice

At the apex of the Community's legal system is the Court of Justice, which the treaties requires to ensure that “the law” comprising the treaties require to ensure that the law comprising the treaties and legislation duly enacted by the institutions is observed.The Court of Justice has one judge per EU country. Each judge and advocate-general is appointed for a term of six years, which can be renewed. The governments of EU countries agree on whom they want to appoint.