European institutions in Brussels

Since the decision of the member states to make Brussels the seat of the European institutions in 1997, Brussels has become the de facto capital of Europe.

In the course of successive enlargements more and more European institutions have been established in the Brussels-Capital Region, which has created a European neighbourhood in the heart of the Region.

Europe’s political bodies in Brussels

• The European Parliament is the community institution representing the combined 470 million inhabitants of the member states of the EU. As the only EU institution elected directly by universal suffrage, the European Parliament has three fundamental powers: legislative power, budget power and political control of the European institutions.
  Strasbourg is the official seat of the Parliament, while Brussels hosts MEPs three weeks out of every four as well as additional plenary sessions and the meetings of parliamentary committees and political groupings.

  Contact :

  General address in Brussels
  Rue Wiertz 60, 1047 Brussels
  Phone: +32 (0)2 284 21 11 (reception)
  fax: +32(0)2 230 75 55
  Online: www.europarl.europa.eu

  Information Bureau in Brussels
  Rue de Trêves 3, 1050 Brussels
  Fax: +32 (0)2 230 75 55
  Email: eplobelgium@ep.europa.eu
  Online: www.europarl.be (FR/NL)
• The Council of the European Union is made up of representatives of the governments of the EU member states. The Council is the most important legislative body and the decision-making centre of the European Union.

  Contact :

  Bâtiment du Juste Lipse
  Rue de la Loi 175, 1048 Brussels
  Phone: +32 (0)2 281 61 11
  Fax: +32 (0)2 281 69 34
  Email: online form
  Online: www.consilium.europa.eu

• The European Commission, which drives the integration process given it is the only body permitted to propose EU legislation as well as being the guardian of the Treaties, is located at Berlaymont.

  Contact:

  Europe Direct
  Phone: 00 800 67 89 10 11 (9 am to 6.00 pm, free of charge throughout the European Union)
  Online: http://europa.eu
  Email: online form

• The European Economic and Social Committee, an advisory body, is the assembly of European economic and social partners and the voice of organised civil society organisations (consumers and other interest groups). It issues the recommendations of its members and defends their interests in the political discussions with the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament.

  Contact:
  
  Rue Belliard 99, 1040 Brussels.
  Phone: +32 (0)2 546 90 11
  Fax: +32 (0)2 513 48 93
  Online: www.eesc.europa.eu
  Email: online form

• The Committee of the Regions, an advisory body, is the political assembly representing local and regional levels of Europe. The Committee of the Regions must be consulted prior to all decisions of the EU on matters that affect the local and regional authorities, such as regional policy, environment, education and transport. It is housed on the same premises as the European Economic and Social Committee.

  Contact:
  
  Rue Belliard 99-101, 1040 Brussels.
  Phone: +32 (0)2 282 22 11
  Fax: +32 (0)2 282 23 25
  Online: http://cor.europa.eu
  Email: online form

Community agencies

The Brussels-Capital Region is also the seat of eight community agencies: the European Defence Agency, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation, the Community Fisheries Control Agency, the European GNSS Supervisory Authority, the Research Executive Agency, the European Research Council Executive Agency and the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency.