| 释义 |
European Commission
(Commission of the European Communities) An organ of the European Union formed in 1967, having both executive and legislative functions. It is composed of 27 Commissioners (one from each member state) who must be nationals of member states and are appointed by member states by mutual agreement; their appointment must be approved by the European Parliament. Each Commissioner assumes responsibility for a particular field of activity and oversees the department (Directorate General) devoted to that field. Once appointed, the Commissioners must act in the interests of the EU; they are not to be regarded as representatives of their countries and must not seek or take instructions from any government or other body. Each Commissioner is appointed for a (renewable) four-year period. The Commission’s executive functions include administration of Community funds and ensuring that Community law is enforced (see European Court of Justice). Its legislative functions consist primarily of submitting proposals for legislation to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, in some cases on the orders of the Council and in others on its own initiative. It also has legislative powers of its own, partly under the Lisbon Treaty and partly by virtue of delegation by the Council, but only on a limited range of subjects (see Community Legislation). |