European Commission

The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union, headquartered in Brussels and led by a College of Commissioners. It holds the right of legislative initiative, oversees the implementation of EU law, manages the Union's budget, and acts as guardian of the EU treaties. In the area of justice and the rule of law, the Commission monitors member states' adherence to EU values and legal standards, publishes annual rule-of-law reports, and can initiate infringement proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union against states it considers to be in breach of their obligations. It has also used conditionality mechanisms linking EU funds to rule-of-law standards. The Commission proposes and enforces; binding adjudication of legal disputes rests with the EU's courts.