Snapshot
Institutions, competences, conferral, subsidiarity, proportionality and the EU digital-policy context.
Module status
- •Track: Normal EPSO EU knowledge
- •Last verified: 2026-09-08
- •Scope: Independent training aligned to official notice C/2026/4668; official sources always prevail.
Institutional roles
The European Council gives the Union general political directions and priorities but does not exercise legislative functions. The Commission promotes the general interest, proposes most Union legislation, executes the budget and oversees application of Union law under the Treaties. Parliament and the Council jointly exercise legislative and budgetary functions; ordinary legislative procedure applies to their joint adoption of legislation.
The Court of Justice ensures that the law is observed in interpreting and applying the Treaties. The European Central Bank manages the euro and conducts monetary policy for euro-area Member States. The Court of Auditors examines whether Union revenue and expenditure are lawful, regular and soundly managed.
Competence and action
Conferral means the Union acts only within competences conferred by Member States. Subsidiarity governs non-exclusive competences: Union action should add value compared with Member-State action. Proportionality means Union action must not exceed what is necessary to achieve Treaty objectives.
EU digital action can combine internal-market legislation, research programmes, standardisation, procurement and coordination. A specialist should identify the legal actor, competence and instrument before choosing a technical solution.