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European Parliament, Plenary hall Strasburg. The President of the European Parliament (Parliament's speaker) Martin Schulz (S&D). Below the President, there are 14 Vice-Presidents who chair debates when the President is not in the chamber.
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The President of the European Parliament (Parliament's speaker) Martin Schulz (S&D)
Below the President, there are 14 Vice-Presidents who chair debates when the President is not in the chamber. • The two main bodies are the Bureau, which is responsible for budgetary and administration issues, and the Conference of Presidents which is a governing body composed of the presidents of each of the parliament's political groups. • 20 Standing Committees, Committees can also set up sub-committees.
European Parliament • The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union (the Council) and the European Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world. • The Parliament is currently composed of 754 Members of the European Parliament, who represent the second largest democratic electorate in the world and the largest trans-national democratic electorate in the world (375 million eligible voters in 2009). • It has been directly elected every five years by universal suffrage since 1979.
First assembly met on 10 September 1952 • The first important meeting was held on 19 March 1958 having been set up in Luxembourg, it elected Schuman as its president and on 13 May it rearranged itself to sit according to political ideology rather than nationality. • The body was renamed to the current "European Parliament" in 1962. • The Lisbon Treaty granting Parliament powers over the entire of the EU budget, making Parliament's legislative powers equal to the Council's in nearly all areas and linking the appointment of the Commission President to Parliament's own elections.
The Parliament must approve all development grants, including those overseas. • Neither the Parliament nor the Council have the power of legislative initiative (except for the fact that the Council has the power in some intergovernmental matters) • The Parliament is also responsible for discharging the implementation of previous budgets based on the annual report of the European Court of Auditors.
The President of the European Commission is proposed by the European Council on the basis of the European elections to Parliament.That proposal has to be approved by the Parliament (by a simple majority) who "elect" the President according to the treaties. • The Parliament also has the power to censure the Commission if they have a two-thirds majority which will force the resignation of the entire Commission from office.
The Parliament can call other institutions to answer questions and if necessary to take them to court if they break EU law or treaties. • Furthermore it has powers over the appointment of the members of the Court of Auditors and the president and executive board of the European Central Bank. The ECB president is also obliged to present an annual report to the parliament. • The European Ombudsman is elected by the Parliament, who deals with public complaints against all institutions. • Petitions can also be brought forward by any EU citizen on a matter within the EU's sphere of activities.
"ordinary legislative procedure" - previously named "codecision procedure„
Activities of the Parliament • committee weeks where reports are discussed in committees and interparliamentary delegations • political group weeks to discuss work within political groups • session weeks where members spend 3½ days in Strasbourg for part-sessions. • six 2-day part-sessions are organised in Brussels throughout the year. • Four weeks are allocated as constituency week to allow members to do exclusively constituency work. • The Parliament has the power to meet without being convened by another authority. • no meetings planned during the summer weeks
The seats are distributed according to "degressive proportionality", i.e., the larger the state, the more citizens are represented per MEP. • For example: Germany – 99 MEP, Czech Republic – 22, Slovakia – 13, Poland – 51, Romania – 32, Hungary – 22, Cyprus – 6.
EPP Group (Group of the European People's Party) The Group of the European People's Party (EPP Group) is the largest in the European Parliament. It brings together centre and centre-right pro-European political forces from the Member States of the EU, coming together to advance the goal of a more competitive and democratic Europe, closer to its citizens, and a social market economy. The United Kingdom is now the only EU member state not to have representation in the EPP Group
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats The S&D Group stands for an inclusive European society based on principles of freedom, equality, solidarity, diversity and fairness. Our MEPs are committed to fighting for social justice, jobs and growth, consumer rights, sustainable development, financial market reform and human rights to create a stronger and more democratic Europe and a better future for everyone. In today's times of crisis, the S&D Group's priority is to fight unemployment and ensure that our societies and markets become fairer. We want to give people back trust in the EU and hope for their future. These principles inspire our daily work, in the European Parliament and beyond.
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Supporting transparency in government and business, free markets, communication with voters and greater EU involvement in globalization. Supporting the framework programme for competitiveness and innovation (CIP), EU patent funding and origin labeling reform of the CAP, and compromise on the Services Directive.
The Greens/EuropeanFree Alliance build a society respectful of fundamental human rights and environmental justice: the rights to self-deGreens/European Free termination, to shelter, to good health, to education, to culture, and to a high quality of life; increase freedom within the world of work, not only by tackling unemployment but also by widening people's choices, releasing human creative potential ; deepen democracy by decentralisation and direct participation of people in decision-making that concerns them build a European Union of free peoples based on the principle of subsidiarity who believe in solidarity with each other and all the peoples of the world. re-orientate the European Union, which currently over-emphasises its economic conception at the expense of social, cultural and ecological values
European Conservatives and Reformists Free enterprise, free and fair trade and competition, minimal regulation, lower taxation, and small government as the ultimate catalysts for individual freedom and personal and national prosperity. Freedom of the individual, more personal responsibility and greater democratic accountability. Sustainable, clean energy supply with an emphasis on energy security. The importance of the family as the bedrock of society. The sovereign integrity of the nation state, opposition to EU federalism and a renewed respect for true subsidiarity. The overriding value of the transatlantic security relationship in a revitalised NATO, and support for young democracies across Europe. Effectively controlled immigration and an end to abuse of asylum procedures An end to waste and excessive bureaucracy and a commitment to greater transparency and probity in the EU institutions and use of EU funds.
Europe of Freedom and Democracy 1. Committed to the principles of democracy, freedom and co-operation among Nation States, the Group favours an open, transparent, democratic and accountable co-operation among sovereign European States and rejects the bureaucratisation of Europe and the creation of a single centralised European superstate. 2. Convinced that the legitimate level for democracy lies with the Nation States, their regions and parliaments since there is no such thing as a single European people; the Group opposes further European integration (treaties and policies) that would exacerbate the present democratic deficit and the centralist political structure of the EU. 3. Peoples and Nations of Europe have the right to protect their borders and strengthen their own historical, traditional, religious and cultural values. The Group rejects xenophobia, anti-Semitism and any other form of discrimination
European United Left/Nordic Green Left Confederalism for us means respecting and preserving the diversity of identities and opinions of our members. What unites us is the vision of a socially equitable, peaceful and sustainable European integration process based on international solidarity. We are fighting for more and better jobs and educational opportunities, for social security and social solidarity, for a respectful way to deal with our earth and its resources, for cultural exchange and diversity, for sustainable economic development and for a consistent and strong peace policy. These must constitute, from our point of view, the ultimate goals of the European integration process. We see it as our mission to make the European Union more human, more transparent and more tangible. We want more direct democracy and active participation by citizens. The European Union must become a project of its people and cannot remain a project of the elites. We want equal rights for women and men, civil rights and liberties and the enforcement of human rights. Anti-Fascism and anti-racism are also a strong part of the tradition of left movements in Europe.
ALDE (85) EPP (269) Greens – EFA (58) S&D (190) ECR (55) EFD (35) EUL-NGL (34) Non-Inscrits (28)
Indeed for much of its life it has been dominated by a grand coalition of the European People's Party and the Party of European Socialists. The two major parties tend to co-operate to find a compromise between their two groups leading to proposals endorsed by huge majorities
