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Resume
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Identification
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European Parliament
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Acronym
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EP
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Homepage
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http://www.europarl.europa.eu/
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Foundation
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1957 by the EC Treaty
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The EU institution:
Council
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Key facts:
- Since 1979 the Members of the Parliament have been directly elected by the citizens of the European Union
- Elections are held every five years.
- Every EU citizen is entitled to vote, and to stand as a candidate, wherever they live in the EU.
- Last elections were in June 2009.
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Members of the Parliament
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Also known as MEPs:
- 736 members from all Member States (27 EU countries)
- MEPs don't sit in national blocks
- MEPs sit in seven Europe-wide political groups
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Political groups
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There are 7 political groups:
 EPP - European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
 S&D - Socialists & Democrats
 ALDE - Alliance of Liberals & Democrats in Europe
 EFA - European Free Alliance (Greens)
 ECR - European Conservatives & Reformists
 GUE/NGL - European United Left/Nordic Green Left
 EFD - European of Freedom & Democracy
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President
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Jerzy Buzek elected on 14th of July 2009 and will hold that post for two and a half years (until January 2012).
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Staff
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6.000 Persons (as of 2008)
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Budget
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1.5 Billion Euros (as of 2008)
41% Staff
25% MEPs
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Base
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The European Parliament has three places of work:
- Strasbourg (France):
Meetings of the whole Parliament, known as ‘plenary sessions’.
- Brussels (Belgium):
- Committee meeting
- Some ‘plenary sessions’
- Luxembourg:
Administrative offices (the ‘General Secretariat’).
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Roles of the Parliament
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Parliament has three main roles:
- Passing European laws:
Co-decision with the Council in many policy areas.
- Democratic supervision over the other EU institutions:
It has the power to approve or reject the nomination of commissioners, and it has the right to censure the European Commission as a whole.
- The power of the purse:
Parliament shares with the Council authority over the EU budget.
Parliament may adopt or reject the budget in its entirety.
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