EU leaders gather Monday in Brussels to thrash out over dinner how to distribute the bloc's top jobs, with Ursula von der Leyen seemingly on track for a second term heading the European Commission. Here's how the main institutions work, in a videographic. VIDEOGRAPHIC
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00:00The main European institutions are the Commission, the European Council, and the Parliament.
00:11The Commission proposes laws, called directives or regulations.
00:15It comprises 27 Commissioners, one per country member, whose nomination is proposed by the
00:20European Council and approved by the Parliament.
00:22The Commissioners do not advocate the interests of their country of origin, but those of the
00:26EU as a whole.
00:28The European Council sets the general political direction of the EU.
00:32It is composed of the heads of state or government of member countries, who meet at least four
00:37times per year in Brussels.
00:38In parallel, the ministers of all EU states responsible for particular policy areas, such
00:44as agriculture or finance, have regular meetings.
00:47They are referred to as the Council of the European Union.
00:50It is chaired on a six-month rotation by each member country.
00:53The ministers decide the legislative proposals made by the Commission, which they jointly
00:58adopt with the European Parliament.
01:00Parliament is the only EU institution whose members are elected, but it only has a share
01:04of the power to make laws.
01:06It cannot initiate legislation.
01:08However, it can amend and vote on the proposals of the Commission, in consultation with the
01:13Council of the European Union.
01:15In certain areas, such as taxation, its advice is only consultative.
01:20The member states must then apply the European laws, with the Commission overseeing their
01:24application.
01:28For more UN videos visit www.un.org