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European Commission

Executive branch of the European Union / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The European Commission (EC) is part of the executive of the European Union (EU), together with the European Council. It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (directorial system, informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President.[1][2] It includes an administrative body of about 32,000 European civil servants. The Commission is divided into departments known as Directorates-General (DGs) that can be likened to departments or ministries each headed by a Director-General who is responsible to a Commissioner.

Quick facts: European Commission, Name in official languag...
European Commission
Name in official languages
Bulgarian: Европейска комисия
Croatian: Europska komisija
Czech: Evropská komise
Danish: Europa-Kommissionen
Dutch: Europese Commissie
English: European Commission
Estonian: Euroopa Komisjon
Finnish: Euroopan komissio
French: Commission européenne
German: Europäische Kommission
Greek: Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή
Hungarian: Európai Bizottság
Irish: Coimisiún Eorpach
Italian: Commissione europea
Latvian: Eiropas Komisija
Lithuanian: Europos Komisija
Maltese: Kummissjoni Ewropea
Polish: Komisja Europejska
Portuguese: Comissão Europeia
Romanian: Comisia Europeană
Slovak: Európska komisia
Slovene: Evropska komisija
Spanish: Comisión Europea
Swedish: Europeiska kommissionen
European_Commission.svg
Overview
Established16 January 1958; 65 years ago (1958-01-16)
Country
PolityEuropean Union
LeaderPresident
(Ursula von der Leyen)
Appointed byNominated by the European Council and confirmed by the European Parliament
Main organCollege of Commissioners
Ministries
Responsible to
  • European Parliament
Headquarters
  • Brussels, Belgium (the Berlaymont building at 50°50′37″N 4°22′58″E)
  • Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Websiteec.europa.eu
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Belgique_-_Bruxelles_-_Schuman_-_Berlaymont_-_01.jpg
The Berlaymont building, seat of the European Commission

There is one member per member state, but members are bound by their oath of office to represent the general interest of the EU as a whole rather than their home state.[3] The Commission President (currently Ursula von der Leyen) is proposed by the European Council[4] (the 27 heads of state/governments) and elected by the European Parliament.[5] The Council of the European Union then nominates the other members of the Commission in agreement with the nominated President, and the 27 members as a team are then subject to a vote of approval by the European Parliament.[6] The current Commission is the Von der Leyen Commission, which took office in December 2019, following the European Parliament elections in May of the same year.