Global InformationEuropean Parliament information
European Parliament
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| 9th European Parliament | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Type | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | De facto lower house of bicameral legislature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Term limits | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 10 September 1952 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leadership | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President | Roberta Metsola, EPP since 18 January 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vice-Presidents | First Vice-President: Othmar Karas, EPP other Vice-Presidents: See List since 18 January 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Secretary-General | Alessandro Chiocchetti since 1 January 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seats | 705[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Political groups |
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| Committees | 22
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Length of term | 5 years | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salary | €8,932.86 monthly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elections | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Voting system | Chosen by member state. Systems include:
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First election | 7–10 June 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last election | 23–26 May 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Next election | 6–9 June 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Motto | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In varietate concordia (United in diversity) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Meeting place | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Louise Weiss Building Strasbourg, France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Espace Léopold Brussels, Belgium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| www | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Constitution | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Treaties of the European Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts European legislation, following a proposal by the European Commission. The Parliament is composed of 705 members (MEPs), due to rise to 720 after the June 2024 European elections. It represents the second-largest democratic electorate in the world (after the Parliament of India), with an electorate of 375 million eligible voters in 2009.[2][3][4]
Since 1979, the Parliament has been directly elected every five years by the citizens of the European Union through universal suffrage. Voter turnout in parliamentary elections decreased each time after 1979 until 2019, when voter turnout increased by eight percentage points, and rose above 50% for the first time since 1994.[5] The voting age is 18 in all EU member states except for Malta, Belgium, Austria and Germany, where it is 16, and Greece, where it is 17.[6]
The European Parliament has legislative power in that the adoption of EU legislation normally requires its approval, and that of the Council, in what amounts to a bicameral legislature. However, it does not formally possess the right of initiative (i.e. the right to formally initiate the legislative procedure) in the way that most national parliaments of the member states do, as the right of initiative is a prerogative of the European Commission.[7][8] Nonetheless, the Parliament and the Council each have the right to request the Commission to initiate the legislative procedure and put forward a propoosal.[9]
The Parliament is, in protocol terms, the "first institution" of the European Union (mentioned first in its treaties and having ceremonial precedence over the other EU institutions),[10] and shares equal legislative and budgetary powers with the Council (except on a few issues where special legislative procedures apply). It likewise has equal control over the EU budget. Ultimately, the European Commission, which serves as the executive branch of the EU, is accountable to Parliament. In particular, Parliament can decide whether or not to approve the European Council's nominee for President of the Commission, and is further tasked with approving (or rejecting) the appointment of the Commission as a whole. It can subsequently force the current Commission to resign by adopting a motion of censure.[7]
The president of the European Parliament is the body's speaker and presides over the multi-party chamber. The five largest political groups are the European People's Party Group (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Renew Europe (previously ALDE), the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) and Identity and Democracy (ID). The last EU-wide election was held in 2019.
The Parliament's headquarters are officially in Strasbourg, France,[11] and has its administrative offices in Luxembourg City. Plenary sessions are "normally held in Strasbourg for four days a month, but sometimes there are additional sessions in Brussels",[12] while the Parliament's committee meetings are held primarily in Brussels, Belgium.[12][13] In practice, the Parliament works three weeks per month in Brussels and one week (four days) in Strasbourg.
- ^ "MEPs by Member State and political group". European Parliament. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ Brand, Constant; Wielaard, Robert (8 June 2009). "Conservatives Post Gains In European Elections". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ Ian Traynor (7 June 2009). "Misery for social democrats as voters take a turn to the right". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ "18 new MEPs take their seats". European Parliament. 10 January 2012. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- ^ "Results of the 2014 European elections". European Parliament. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ "Voting age for European elections | Think Tank". European Parliament. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Parliament's powerswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Pot initiativewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Articles 225 and 241 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Protocolwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Article 28 of the Treaty on European Union
- ^ a b "European Parliament". Europa. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- ^ "Consolidated versions of the treaty on European Union and of the treaty establishing the European Community" (PDF). Eur-lex. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.