Considering that under the Treaty of Lisbon, the European Council has become a formal institution with the power of appointing the Commission, it could be said that the two bodies hold the executive power of the EU (the European Council also holds individual national executive powers).
I betragtning af at Det Europæiske Råd efter Lissabontraktaten er blevet en formel institution med magten til at udpege Kommissionen, kan det siges at de to organer tilsammen repræsenterer EU's udøvende myndighed (Det Europæiske Råd omfatter selv de individuelle medlemsstaters udøvende myndigheder).