discussed. They both bear similar criticisms, because of the interference of executives in the legislative process. Locations The institutions are not concentrated in a single capital city; instead, their headquarters are spread across four cities: Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Frankfurt. The current arrangement was approved in 1992 and attached to the Treaty of Amsterdam. The treaty states that the Commission and Council would be based in Brussels, the Courts in Luxembourg City, and the Parliament in Strasbourg. However some departments of the commission and meetings of the Council take place in Luxembourg City, while the Parliament has its committees and some sessions in Brussels and its secretariat in Luxembourg City. Of the new institutions, the Central Bank is based in Frankfurt, while the European Council is based in Brussels (but has some extraordinary meetings elsewhere). Brussels' hosting of institutions has made it a major centre for the EU. Together with NATO it has attracted more journalists and ambassadors than Washington, D.C. However the three-city agreement has been criticised, notably concerning the Parliament, due to the large number of people that move between the cities. The European Green Party estimated that the arrangement costs 200 million euro and 20,268 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Brussels is preferred by some due to the presence of other institutions and other groups whereas Strasbourg is supported due to its historical importance to European unity. See also Bodies of the European Union Brussels and the European Union European Investment Bank European External Action Service European Civil Service Glossary of European Union concepts, acronyms, & jargon List of the names of bodies of the European Union in its official languages List of presidents of European Union institutions European sovereign-debt crisis: List of acronyms References External links EU institutions and other bodies, Europa (web portal) Official archives of the Institutions of the European Union Access to European Union law on EUR-Lex Politics of the European Union