• The European Council, comprising the heads of government of the 27 EU member states, meets at least once every six months and decides the central direction of EU policy.
   

• The European Commission, puts forward legislative proposals and implements legislation adopted. The Commission is the executive of the EU and is run by a college of Commissioners, picked jointly by the President of the Commission and national governments for a five year period, and approved by the European Parliament. The current European Commission, under its President, Jose Manuel Barosso will run until 2009.  The recently appointed British Commissioner is Baroness Catherine Ashton.
   

• The Council of Ministers, comprising government ministers from the 27 EU member states, adopts legislation in its final form. Unanimity among the member states applies in certain highly sensitive fields - for example, tax harmonization, revenue raising, institutional changes and most decisions on foreign and security policy (CFSP). Qualified majority voting (QMV) applies in many areas, such as single market, transport, environment, agriculture, trade policy and social policy.
   

• The European Court of Justice adjudicates on the interpretation and application of the Treaties and EU laws.
   

• The Court of Auditors audits spending by other EU institutions.
   

• The Committee of the Regions, comprising regional and local representatives nominated by the 27 EU governments, advises the other institutions on legislative proposals.
   

• The Economic and Social Committee, comprising representatives of business, trades-union, farming and consumer interests, nominated by the 27 EU governments, advises the other institutions on legislative proposals.

The power and roles of the various EU bodies, including the European Parliament, were originally set out in the 1957 Treaty of Rome. They have since been elaborated by the 1987 Single European act, the 1993 Maastricht Treaty and the 1999 Amsterdam Treaty.

Reproduced by permission of David Sumberg MEP