European Commission
The European Commission does much of the day-to-day work in the European Union. The Commission looks after the practical execution of EU actions and of the EU budget. It drafts proposals for new European laws, which it presents to the European Parliament and the Council. It represents the Community interest and as the guardian of the treaties, it watches out to see that European treaties and European law are properly implemented. The Commission enjoys independence in performing its duties.
The European Commission currently consists of 27 commissioners. The President is chosen by the governments of the EU Member States and must be approved by the European Parliament. The other members are nominated by the member governments in consultation with the incoming president and must also be accepted by Parliament. The Commission is appointed for a five-year term, but it can be dismissed by Parliament. It is backed by a civil service of 20,000 staff, mainly located in Brussels and Luxembourg.
DG Development
The Directorate General for Development (DG Development) is the primary unit within the Commission dealing with international development matters. DG Development formulates the development policy applicable to all developing countries. Its main thematic areas are: linking trade with development, regional integration and co-operation, support for macro-economic policies and promoting equitable access to social services in coherence with the macro-economic framework, supporting transport, promoting food security and sustainable rural development and support for institutional capacity building.
DG Development is also in charge of some EC budget lines, including food aid/food security, environment/tropical forests, health and NGO co-financing. The implementation of programs funded under the budget rests, however, with EuropeAid.
DG Development also contributes significantly to policy formulation in other policy areas such as environment, trade, fisheries etc., which fall under the responsibility of other Commission services. It also does substantive policy coordination for example with the European Investment Bank, the Bretton Woods Institutions, the African Development Bank, the African Development Bank etc.
