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:''The European Patent Office also comprises Directorates-Generals. See Directorates-General.''
:''The Secretariat of the European Parliament also comprises Directorates-Generals. See Directorate-Generals.''
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.

Contents

Structure

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.

★ Policy DGs

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★ Agriculture and Rural Development (Agri)

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★ Competition (Comp)

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★ Economic and Financial Affairs (Ecofin)

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★ Education and Culture (EAC)

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★ Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (Empl)

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★ Enterprise and Industry

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★ Environment (Env)

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★ Fisheries and Maritime Affairs (Fish)

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★ Health and Consumer Protection (Sanco)

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★ Information Society and Media (Infso)

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★ Internal Market and Services (Markt)

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★ Joint Research Centre (JRC)

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★ Justice, Freedom and Security

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★ Regional Policy (Regio)

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★ Research (RTD)

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★ Taxation and Customs Union (Tax)

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★ Transport and Energy (Tren)

★ External Relations DGs

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★ Development (Dev)

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★ Enlargement

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★ EuropeAid Co-Operation Office (Aidco)

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★ External Relations (Relex)

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★ Humanitarian Aid (Echo)

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★ Trade

★ General Services DGs

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★ Communication

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★ European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF)

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★ Eurostat

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★ Publications Office

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★ Secretariat General

★ Internal Services DGs

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★ Budget

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★ Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA)

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★ Informatics

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★ Infrastructures and Logistics

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★ Brussels (OIB)

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★ Luxembourg (OIL)

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★ Internal Audit Service (IAS)

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★ Interpretation

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★ Legal Service

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★ Personnel and Administration

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★ Translation (DGT)