Introduction

The EU has a unique institutional structure, which is not surprising, given that it is neither a federal state nor a purely intergovernmental cooperative venture – vital facts often forgotten, especially by EU sceptics comparing its institutions to their equivalents in single states. EU member states (MSs) pool sovereignty in specific areas and delegate them to independent institutions, entrusting them with defending the interests of the EU as a whole, as well as the interests of both its MSs and their citizens. The European Commission (hereafter, Commission) upholds the interests of the whole EU. The Council of the European Union (hereafter, Council) upholds the interests of the governments of MSs through their ministerial representatives, and the European Parliament (EP) upholds those of EU citizens, who directly elect its members.

The Commission, the Council and the EP, known as the ‘institutional triangle’, are flanked by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the Court of Auditors, as well as five other bodies: the European Central Bank (ECB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Ombudsman. There are also many agencies, created by specific legislation, taking care of specialized concerns, which are of a technical, scientific or managerial nature – for example, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS).