Plenary Session of the European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium, 26 April 2021.
How does the EU work?
Everything that the EU does is based on treaties that contain the rules for how the EU works. All EU countries have agreed voluntarily and democratically to these treaties.
The EU treaties specify who can pass laws in what areas: the EU, national governments or both. EU countries are responsible for making their own decisions and laws in certain areas of national policy, such as industry, health and education, and the EU provides support.
For many areas, the treaties specify that both the EU and national governments can act. In these cases, decisions are always taken at the closest possible level to the citizens. This means if an issue can be solved at the local, regional or national level, the EU will not intervene.
The EU takes action in those areas where its Member States have authorised it to do so and where it makes sense to act together, such as on climate change or when trading across the world. To help achieve their goals, the EU countries have created a number of institutions to make decisions at the EU level and to then carry them out.
The European Parliament, which sits in Strasbourg and Brussels, represents the interests of the citizens of the EU. Together with the Council, it is the main decision‑making body of the EU.
The 720 Members of the European Parliament, also known as MEPs, are directly elected by EU voters every 5 years. The next election will take place in 2029. Each EU country elects a number of members, in proportion to its population. MEPs don’t sit in groups based on their nationality but in political groups that cover several countries or as independents.
The Council of the European Union, also known as the Council, is made up of the government ministers of all the EU countries. Together with the European Parliament, it is the main decision-making body of the EU. Every 6 months a different EU country holds the presidency of the Council. To ensure continuity, the presidencies work together closely in groups of three on a common agenda over an 18-month period.
This is not to be confused with the European Council, which is made up of the leaders of all the EU countries. It sets the EU’s political direction and priorities.
The European Commission is the EU’s civil service. It has the right to propose new actions and new laws, which are then decided on by the Parliament and the Council. It is also responsible for ensuring that EU rules are correctly applied. The Commission is led by an appointed president and a team of commissioners – one from each EU country.
All countries in the European Union have to follow EU rules and meet the targets they sign up to, otherwise the Commission can take action against them.
The Court of Justice of the European Union ensures that EU law is enforced and applied in the same way in every EU country.
The European Central Bank manages the euro. Its main aim is to keep prices stable in the euro area.