European Commission

The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union, based in Brussels. It is composed of a college of commissioners, one from each member state, led by a president, and is supported by directorates-general and services that carry out its work. The Commission holds the near-exclusive right to propose EU legislation, implements policies and the EU budget, and manages programs across areas such as the single market, competition, trade, agriculture, and the environment. It also acts as guardian of the EU treaties, monitoring member states' compliance with EU law and able to refer suspected breaches to the Court of Justice of the European Union. It negotiates international agreements on behalf of the Union within mandates set by member states.