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European Council
European Council
Rue de la Loi 175,
B-1048 Brussels
Main switchboard: (32-2) 281 61 11
Fax (32-2) 281 69 34
The "invisible power"
The European Union constituted itself through a series of treaties which provide the legal basis for all decisions and actions undertaken in its name. Most of the time, the Council's presence is not really perceived as existing, since the media tends to reduce everything either to the work of the European Commission or else just to 'Brussels'. But it is in reality a tripiate of governance which exists. Besides the European Council, there is the European Parliament and the European Commission with several other sub-institutions such as the Committee of Regions. Practically there is as well a duplicate in place, for not the Council has like the European Parliament its own committee for culture to give but one example. Naturally the competences differ greatly, and when it comes to set the budget, agreement with the member states through the council is a prerequisite for all EU institutions to function in a "normal" way.
On the official statement is stated briefly that "The European Council defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union. With the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009, it became an institution. Its President is Herman Van Rompuy."
Official website: http://www.european-council.europa.eu/the-institution?lang=en
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