3.1 The EU institutions: Introduction

The EU has a comprehensive set of institutions, including:

• The six major institutions:
• The European Commission.
• The Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers).
• The European Parliament.
• The Court of Justice (or the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
• The Court of Auditors.
• The European Council (at present it is strictly not an "institution", though under the Lisbon Reform Treaty would become one).
• The two consultative committees that are involved in EU legislative decision-making: the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
• Other institutions, comprising:
• The European Investment Bank (EIB).
• The European Investment Fund (EIF).
• The European Central Bank (ECB).
• The European Ombudsman.
• The European Data Protection Supervisor.
• Decentralised EU agencies.

RL, February 2007