European Union Institutions
Regulatory Authorities
European Commission
The European Commission embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union and is the driving force in the Union's institutional system. Its four main roles are to propose legislation to Parliament and the Council, to administer and implement Community policies, to enforce Community law (jointly with the Court of Justice) and to negotiate international agreements, mainly those relating to trade and cooperation. For more information, please go to: European Parliament
The European Parliament is the only supranational institution whose members are democratically elected by direct universal suffrage. It represents the people of the Member States. The European Parliament, which is elected every five years, is involved in drafting numerous laws (directives, regulations etc.) that affect the daily life of every citizen. Today the European Parliament is firmly established as a co-legislator, has budgetary powers and exercises democratic controls over all the European institutions. For more information, please go to: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the main decision-making body of the European Union. The ministers of the Member States meet within the Council of the European Union. Depending on the issue on the agenda, each country will be represented by the minister responsible for that subject (foreign affairs, finance, social affairs, transport, agriculture, etc.). The presidency of the Council is held for six months by each Member State on a rotational basis. For more information, please go to: www.consilium.europa.eu
European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
The European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was established in 2005. It is an EU agency with aim to strengthen Europe's defences against infectious diseases. It is seated in Stockholm, Sweden. For more information, please go to: http://www.ecdc.eu.int/
European Medicines Agency (EMEA)
The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) is a decentralised body of the European Union with headquarters in London, United Kingdom. Its main responsibility is the protection and promotion of public and animal health through the evaluation and supervision of medicines for human and veterinary use. For more information, please go to: http://www.emea.europa.eu/
Other Organizations Within the EMEA:
Council of EuropeThe Council of Europe seeks to develop throughout Europe common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. For more information, please go to: http://www.coe.int/
European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare (EDQM) The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare protects and promotes public and animal health in Europe. For more information, please go to: http://www.edqm.eu/site/Homepage-628.html