Glossary:European Commission (EC)
The European Commission, abbreviated as EC, is the executive branch of the European Union. The EC is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and the general day-to-day running of the EU.
The EC is composed of Commissioners, one from each Member state, though Commissioners officially represent the interests of the EU as a whole rather than their home state. The Commission president (one of the Commissionners) is appointed by the European Council (the regular meeting of EU heads of state or government) with the approval of the European Parliament (EP).
The term "Commission" often refers to the entire administrative body of about 23 000 European civil servants employed by the EC, based primarily in Brussels (BE).