name: European Commission
text: The European Commission (EC) is the executive body of the European Union (EU). The Delegations of the External Service, although hierarchically a part of the EC structure, in practice serve EU interests as a whole in 123 countries throughout the world, and at five centres of international organisations (OECD, OSCE, UN, WTO) by:
  
  1 - presenting, explaining and implementing EU policy; 
  2 - analysing and reporting on the policies and developments of the countries to which they are accredited; and
  3 - conducting negotiations in accordance with a given mandate. 
  
  This means that the Delegations exercise powers conferred by the treaty on the European Community, in third countries, by promoting the Communityâ€™s interests as embodied in the common policies, chiefly the common commercial policy, but also many others, including the agricultural, fisheries, environmental, transport and health and safety policies. It also means involvement in areas such as Justice and Home Affairs, in which the European Community does not have exclusive powers.
  
  In addition, the Delegations play a key role in the implementation of external assistance. This is a role that has been expand very greatly as a consequence of the devolution policy decided by the Commission in 2000 in order to provide EU external assistance more rapidly and more efficiently.
  
  http://www.delafg.ec.europa.eu/