The European Commission, headquartered in Belgium, was founded in 1958 and employs approximately 34,050 individuals. Functioning as a body independent of national governments, the Commission represents and upholds the interests of the European Union as a whole. Its primary activities revolve around government administration, including preparing legislation for adoption by the Council (representing member countries) and the Parliament (representing citizens). Additionally, it administers the budget and various policy programmes, such as agriculture, fisheries, and research, in cooperation with authorities in the member countries.
The European Commission announced on April 25, 2026, that the EU and US signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a strategic partnership on critical minerals, agreeing on an EU-US Critical Minerals Action Plan. These initiatives aim to deepen cooperation on critical raw materials amid shared geopolitical and economic challenges. Earlier the same day, the Commission introduced AccelerateEU, a new set of measures to address the fossil fuel energy situation stemming from the Middle East and to promote a transition toward domestically produced clean energy, according to EC President Ursula von der Leyen. This initiative follows March's largest-ever month-on-month global oil price increase and concerns about the EU's energy dependencies and vulnerability to external geopolitics. Previously, on April 25, President von der Leyen stated the EU's readiness to work with Persian Gulf countries on new projects for conveying energy to global markets, aiming to bypass conflict zones and geopolitical strife. This follows Russia's warning on April 25 of a "tough" response to the 20th sanctions package recently adopted by the European Commission, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemning the "illegitimate unilateral coercive measures."
Subscribe for full access to European Commision's products in full detail
Subscribe for full access to European Commision's revenue in full detail
Subscribe for full access to European Commision's products in full detail 
