Institution

Principal
Location

Key Facts

European Commission

• the executive of the EU, offering very interesting work in an enormously wide range of fields.
• about 16,000 permanent officials (including those on scientific research programmes) plus a variable number of temporary staff and consultants.
• proposes legislation and then monitors it after it is adopted.
• its 27 Commissioners (including the President) are drawn from – but are independent of – the Member States and each is responsible for a different aspect of the Commission’s work.

European Parliament

• 785 MEPs
• about 4,000 employees.
• has power over EU budgets and legislation as well as overseeing the activities of the Commission and the Council.

• workforce of almost 3000 staff, who carry out a very broad range of duties.
• all Member States are represented in the Council, generally by Ministers and/or senior civil servants.

• this is the EU’s overall legal adjudication body.
• around 1,000 staff, mostly permanent officials.

• almost 500 employees, including 80 temporary posts.
• responsible for checking the finances of other Institutions and bodies receiving EU funding.

• committee composed of employers’ and workers’ organisations, who are consulted by the Commission, Council and Parliament on legislative matters
• about 400 staff

• consultative committee, dealing with issues affecting the different EU regions.
• more than 200 officials