The order of precedence of the European Union is the protocol hierarchy in which its offices and dignitaries are listed according to their rank in the European Union. Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Lisbon), entered into force on 1 December 2009, sets the EU's current order of precedence among the EU institutions and bodies. The EU administrative structure further has interinstitutional services, decentralised organisations (agencies), executive agencies, Euratom agencies and bodies, and other EU organisations not included in the order of precedence.[1]
The European Parliament is formally at the top of protocol, followed by the European Council, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. However, some see the president of the commission as "the closest thing the EU has to a head of government".[2]
| Order | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | European Parliament |
| 2 | European Council |
| 3 | Council of the European Union |
| 4 | European Commission |
| 5 | Court of Justice of the European Union |
| 6 | European Central Bank |
| 7 | European Court of Auditors |
| Order | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | European Economic and Social Committee |
| 2 | European Committee of the Regions |
| Order | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | European Investment Bank |
| 2 | European Ombudsman |
| 3 | European Data Protection Supervisor |
| 4 | European Data Protection Board |
| Order | Position[3] |
|---|---|
| 1 | President of the European Parliament |
| 2 | President of the European Council |
| 3 | Members of the European Council, including the President of the European Commission. Among the members of the European Council the order of precedence is the following:
|
| 4 | Presidents of the Council of the European Union acting in that capacity (rotating Presidency as well as the High Representative) |
| 5 | President of the Court of Justice |
| 6 | President of the European Central Bank |
| 7 | President of the European Court of Auditors |
| 8 | High Representative (acting in that capacity) |
| 9 | Ministers acting as members of the Council |
| 10 | Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament and Vice-Presidents of the European Commission |
| 11 | President of the European Economic and Social Committee |
| 12 | President of the European Committee of the Regions |
| 13 | President of the European Investment Bank |
| 14 | Vice-Presidents of the European Central Bank |
| 15 | European Commissioners and Members of the European Parliament |
| 16 | Judges and advocates-general of the Court of Justice |
| 17 | President of the General Court |
| 18 | European Ombudsman |
| 19 | Members of the Board of Directors of the European Central Bank |
| 20 | Members of the European Court of Auditors |
| 21 | Permanent representatives |
| 22 | Vice-Presidents of the European Economic and Social Committee |
| 23 | Vice-Presidents of the European Committee of the Regions |
| 24 | Vice-Presidents of the European Investment Bank |
| 25 | Members of the General Court |
| 26 | European Data Protection Supervisor |
| 27 | Members of the European Economic and Social Committee |
| 28 | Members of the European Committee of the Regions |
| 29 | Registrar of the Court of Justice, secretaries-general and registrars of the institutions, bodies and services |
| 30 | Assistant European Data Protection Supervisor |
| 31 | Directors-general of the European institutions, bodies and services |
| 32 | Directors of the European institutions, bodies and services |
The protocol for third countries assigns head of state status to the president of the council and head of government status to the president of the commission.[4]
| Order | Position |
|---|---|
| 1 | President of the European Council |
| 2 | The Commission |
| 3 | The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy |