The European Commission embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union and is the driving force in the Union's institutional system. Its four main roles are to propose legislation to Parliament and the Council, to administer and implement Community policies, to enforce Community law (jointly with the Court of Justice) and to negotiate international agreements, mainly those relating to trade and cooperation. 

The EU/ACP Microfinance Framework Programme helps poor people in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries get better access to appropriate financial products and services. The Programme builds capacity of microfinance actors and advances transparency in the industry. The Programme takes a financial systems development approach which emphasizes institutional sustainability as a crucial element in the provision of microfinance services.