Directorate-General

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The European Patent Office also comprises Directorates-General. See Directorates-General.

In the European Union, the staff of the main institutions (Commission, Council and Parliament) are organized into a number of distinct departments, known as Directorates-General (DGs), each of which is responsible for specific tasks or policy areas [1]. The administrative head of a DG is known as the Director-General.

In the European Commission a policy area that is within the responsibility of a Commissioner may affect several DGs. Some commissioners are consequently responsible for policy that affects several DGs. There are fewer commissioners in the European Commission than there are DGs.

A Directorate-General is comparable to a government ministry. Most Directorates-General are divided into directorates which cover a specific part of a policy area.

[edit] Structure

The Directorates-General are divided into four groups: Policy DGs, External relations DGs, General Service DGs and Internal Service DGs. Internally, the DGs are referred to by their abbreviations; provided in parenthesis below.



Flag of the European Union European Commission Directorates-General Flag of the European Union
Internal policy: Agriculture | Competition | Economic and Financial Affairs | Education and Culture | Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities | Enterprise and Industry | Environment | Fisheries and Maritime Affairs | Health and Consumer Protection | Information Society and Media | Internal Market and Services | Joint Research Centre | Justice, Freedom and Security | Regional Policy | Research | Taxation and Customs Union | Transport and Energy

External policy: External Relations | Development | Enlargement | Trade | EuropeAid | ECHO

Services: General | Internal | Interpretation | Translation
Table of European Commission Directorates-General and Services
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