- Date:
- 1958 - present
European Parliament
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What is the European Parliament?
The European Parliament is the legislative assembly of the European Union (EU). Established in 1958, it was initially known as the Common Assembly. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected by direct universal suffrage for five-year terms, and the number of representatives per country varies based on population.
The Parliament meets annually in Strasbourg, France, for about 12 week-long plenary sessions, while committee meetings typically occur in Brussels. Its powers have grown over time, gaining veto power in areas like economic integration and budgetary policy. The Parliament also serves as a check on other EU institutions, with the power to approve or remove the president of the European Commission.
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What countries are represented in the European Parliament?
The European Parliament is the legislative assembly of the European Union (EU). It was established in 1958 and was originally called the Common Assembly. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected by universal suffrage for five-year terms. The number of MEPs each country has is based on its population. For example, France, Germany, and Italy each have more than 70 MEPs, while Cyprus, Luxembourg, and Malta have fewer than 7 each.
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How are members of the European Parliament chosen?
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are chosen through direct universal suffrage for five-year terms, a process that began in 1979. The number of MEPs each country has varies with population size; for example, larger countries like France, Germany, and Italy have over 70 MEPs each, while smaller countries like Cyprus, Luxembourg, and Malta have fewer than 7. MEPs usually sit in one of seven transnational political groups instead of national groups.
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What are the main jobs of the European Parliament?
The European Parliament is the legislative assembly of the European Union (EU). Members are directly elected by universal suffrage for five-year terms. The Parliament has over 700 members, with representation based on each country's population.
The Parliament's powers have grown, especially in economic integration and budgetary policy, and it now possesses veto power in these domains. The Lisbon Treaty expanded its legislative authority through the codecision procedure with the Council of the European Union.
The Parliament also serves as a democratic check on other EU institutions, as it approves the European Commission president and can censure the Commission.
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How does the European Parliament make decisions with other European organizations?
The European Parliament influences the EU legislative process through consultation, amendment, and approval. It shares decision-making power with the Council of the European Union, comprising ministers from member countries, in a process known as codecision, which extends to many policy areas.
The Parliament also serves as a check on other EU institutions, with the power to approve and remove the European Commission president and the ability to censure the Commission itself.
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Why is the European Parliament important for people living in Europe?
The European Parliament is the legislative assembly of the European Union (EU). Members are directly elected by universal suffrage for five-year terms. The number of members per country varies depending on population.
The Parliament's powers have grown, especially in economic integration and budgetary policy. The Lisbon Treaty in 2009 further expanded its legislative powers. It adopts laws with the Council of the European Union and serves as a check on other EU bodies. It approves the European Commission president and can censure the Commission, ensuring democratic accountability within the EU.
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European Parliament, legislative assembly of the European Union (EU). Inaugurated in 1958 as the Common Assembly, the European Parliament originally consisted of representatives selected by the national parliaments of EU member countries. Beginning in 1979, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were elected by direct universal suffrage to terms of five years. There are more than 700 members. The number of members per country varies depending on population; for example, France, Germany, and Italy have more than 70 MEPs each, while Cyprus, Luxembourg, and Malta each have fewer than 7.
The vast majority of MEPs sit in one of seven transnational political groups, rather than in national groups. A significant number of members, however, are not attached to any transnational group; they represent various political parties of their home countries. The largest transnational groups are the centre-right Group of the European Peopleās Party (Christian Democrats) and the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (largely comprising members of the Party of European Socialists). The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (dominated by members of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party) occupies a significant number of seats as well. The European Parliament meets annually for about 12 one-week plenary sessions in Strasbourg, France. Most other work (e.g., committee meetings) takes place in Brussels. The Bureau, which is responsible for the Parliamentās budgetary, administrative, and organizational matters, is headed by a president and 14 vice presidents who are elected from among Parliament members to terms of 30 months. The Parliament is subdivided into specialized committees, including those on foreign affairs, budgets, agriculture, economic and monetary affairs, employment, womenās rights, citizensā freedoms and rights, the environment, and regional affairs. Temporary committees also are established on occasion to address issues of particular concern. The Parliament is assisted in its work by a Secretariat, which spends much of its time translating and interpreting between the European Unionās 23 official languages.
The powers of the European Parliament, which originally was only a consultative body, have increased in some areas as integration has proceeded. For example, the Parliament gained veto power in most areas relating to economic integration and budgetary policy. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, the Parliament assumed further legislative powers. Notably, the codecision procedure, whereby the Parliament adopts legislation in concert with the Council of the European Union (the decision-making body comprising ministerial representatives from the member countries), was extended to many policy areas. The body also serves as a democratic check on other EU institutions. In particular, it must approve and is empowered to remove the president of the European Commission (the EUās main executive body). The Parliament also has the power to censure the Commission with a two-thirds vote of its members, thereby forcing the Commission to resign. Although a censure has never been voted, the entire Commission resigned rather than face such a motion in 1999.
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