£>the European Council, the meeting of the heads of state or of government, the ministers for foreign affairs and the President of the European Commission, in which basic issues of European policy are decided;

I>the Council of Ministers of the European Union, which decides Union policy. It meets in various compositions of specialized ministers (such as the Transport Council and the Environment Council). The General Affairs Council (composed of the foreign ministers) is responsible for foreign policy and is also the Council’s central control and coordination instrument;
>the European Commission, a supranational institution which is independent of the national governments; it ensures that the treaties are applied and drafts proposals for the further development of common policy;

>the European Court of Justice, which ensures that the law is observed in the interpretation and application of EU law. Its decisions play a large part in further developing European law and ensure that the legal instruments of the EU do not infringe basic rights;