European Commission

The European Commission is one of the four principal institutions of the European Union (EU) and its constituent entities, the European Community (EC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM), the others being the European Parliament, the European Court of Justice, and the Council of the European Union. The commission is essentially the executive arm of the European Union, although it also has some legislative and judicial functions as well. The primary tasks of the commission include (a) the administration and implementation of EU and community policies and legislation, including formulation and spending of the [Page 216]budget; (b) the initiation and drafting of community legislation; (c) the enforcement of EU and community law; and (d) representation of the EU and the communities at the international ...