The institutions of the European Union have been created through a series of treaties that have been negotiated and ratified by the EU countries. Within these treaties, lie the description of the powers and responsibilities that the respective institution possesses. These treaties explain the procedures and rules that the EU institutions must abide by, this is agreed by the leaders of the member states and are ‘ratified by their parliaments’ (Europa, 2011). While the original EU member states came together in an attempt to avoid future conflict, the relative gains by association of the EU is now seen as one of the key reasons member states adhere to the institutional rule.

The Key Institutions

The Council of the European Union

The European Commission

The European Parliament 

The European Court of Justice

Specialised Institutions

Court of First Instance

European Court of Auditors

European Central Bank

The European Ombudsman  

The Committee of the Regions  

Non-European Union Institutions

Council of Europe