Summaries of EU Legislation, Publications Office of the European Union, Date of last review 08.03.2024

Summaries of EU Legislation, Publications Office of the European Union, date of last review: 03/06/2020

Article 249 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides for the European Commission to adopt its rules of procedure to ensure that both it and its departments operate.

Summaries of EU Legislation, Publications Office of the European Union, Date of last review 07/03/2014

There are 28 European Commissioners - one from each Member State. They are appointed to their posts for a five-year term by the European Council, following a vote of consent of the European Parliament. They adopt decisions collectively and take an oath of independence when appointed (European Council Decision 2013/272/EU of 22 May 2013 concerning the number of members of the European Commission.)

Fact sheets of the European Union, European Parliament, 11-2023 (accessed 29 April 2024).

The Commission is the EU institution that has the monopoly on legislative initiative and important executive powers in policies such as competition and external trade. It is the principal executive body of the European Union and is formed by a College of members composed of one Commissioner per Member State. The Commission oversees the application of Union law and respect for the Treaties by the Member States; it also chairs the committees responsible for the implementation of EU law. The former comitology system has been replaced by new legal instruments, namely implementing and delegated acts.