Principal Institutions of the European Union Essay

Principal Institutions of the European Union - Essay Example The EU basis its foundation on the rule of law (Adams 2006, p.234) where it complies with treaties, voluntarily, and democratically agreed by all member countries (European Union 2014, p. 1). Indeed, the EU seeks to promote human rights both internally and around the world which leads to peace, stability, prosperity, and improved living standards in the member states (European Union 2014, p. 1). Notably, the EU operates through different institutions that include the European Council, Council of Ministers, European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Communities, European Court of Auditors, European Ombudsman, European Central Bank, and European Parliament. The principal institutions of the European Union include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers, Court of Auditors, and the Court of Justice. Notably, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of Ministers concentrate on EU legislation (European Union 2014, p. 1). The European Parliament represents the EU’s citizens, the Council of Ministers represents the governments of the individual member countries, and the European Commission represents the interests of the entire union (European Union 2014, p. 1). Most specifically, the European Parliament is the principal democratic institution of the EU system with a membership of 732 members. Europeans elect the members to the European Parliament for a 5-year term (Souper 2008, p. 1). The European Parliament exercises democratic control over all the EU institutions where it represents the political views of the member states and integrates the views and priorities of members into the system (European Parliament 2009, p. 1). The European Parliament shares legislative power with the Council and the Commission where it examines, amends, and passes EU legislation (European Parliament 2009, p. 1). It also sets the EU's annual budget and ensures that the Commission implements the EU policy (Souper 2008, p. 1).