European Parliament

European Parliament
Name	European Parliament
House type	Unicameral directly elected chamber of the European Union
Foundation	30 March 1962 (as the Assembly); 1 July 1987 (current powers)
Leader1 type	President
Leader1	Roberta Metsola
Election1	18 January 2022
Leader2 type	Vice-Presidents
Leader2	14
Members	720 MEPs
Political groups1	EPP (188) , S&D (136) , Renew (79) , ECR (78) , ID (58) , The Left (45) , Greens/EFA (52) , Non-inscrits (84)
Voting system1	Proportional representation
Last election1	6–9 June 2024
Meeting place	Louise Weiss building, Strasbourg (official seat)
Website	https://www.europarl.europa.eu

European Parliament. It is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union, forming one half of the Union's bicameral legislature alongside the Council of the European Union. Often described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world, it represents over 440 million citizens across the 27 member states. Its primary roles include debating and passing European Union law, exercising democratic oversight over other EU institutions, and jointly deciding the budget of the European Union with the Council.

History

The institution traces its origins to the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community, established by the Treaty of Paris (1951). It was renamed in 1962 and remained an appointed advisory body until the first direct elections in 1979, a pivotal step demanded by the Treaty of Rome. Its legislative and budgetary powers were significantly expanded by the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty, which formally established the European Union. Subsequent treaties, including the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Treaty of Nice, and most profoundly the Treaty of Lisbon, transformed it into a co-legislator with the Council on most policy areas, a process known as the ordinary legislative procedure.

Powers and functions

It shares legislative power equally with the Council of the European Union, using the ordinary legislative procedure to adopt regulations and directives across most EU competences, such as the single market, environmental policy, and consumer protection. It exercises democratic control by approving the appointment of the President of the European Commission and the full College of Commissioners, and can dismiss the Commission via a motion of censure. It shares authority over the budget of the European Union with the Council, and must give its consent to important international agreements like trade deals and treaties of accession for new members.

Composition and organization

It is composed of 720 Members (MEPs), elected for five-year terms. MEPs are organized into transnational political groups based on political affiliation, not nationality. The internal governance is led by the President of the European Parliament, currently Roberta Metsola, and 14 Vice-Presidents who form the Bureau. Legislative work is prepared in 20 specialized standing committees, such as the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.

Elections

Direct elections have been held every five years since 1979 under universal suffrage. While the electoral system is not uniform, all member states use forms of proportional representation, such as the D'Hondt method. Seats are allocated according to the principle of degressive proportionality, meaning larger states like Germany and France have more MEPs than smaller ones like Malta and Luxembourg, but not strictly in proportion to population. The most recent election was the 2024 European Parliament election.

Political groups and parties

MEPs sit in political groups, which require a minimum of 23 members from at least one-quarter of member states. The two largest groups have traditionally been the centre-right European People's Party Group and the centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. Other significant groups include the liberal Renew Europe, the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists and Identity and Democracy, the left-wing The Left, and the Greens–European Free Alliance. National parties, such as CDU/CSU, Partido Popular, SPD, and Fidesz, are members of these European political families.

Seat and working locations

Its official seat is the Louise Weiss building in Strasbourg, France, where twelve monthly plenary sessions are held, as stipulated in the Treaty of Amsterdam. Additional plenary sessions and most committee meetings take place in the Espace Léopold complex in Brussels, Belgium, to facilitate interaction with the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. Its Secretariat, the administrative body, is based in the Kirchberg district of Luxembourg.

Category:European Parliament Category:National legislatures