European Parliament (Strasbourg–Brussels)

European Parliament (Strasbourg–Brussels)
Name	European Parliament (Strasbourg–Brussels)
Native name	Parlement européen (Strasbourg–Bruxelles)
Established	1952
Location	Strasbourg, France; Brussels, Belgium
Members	705 MEPs
Official languages	24
President	Roberta Metsola
Website	European Parliament

European Parliament (Strasbourg–Brussels) The European Parliament (Strasbourg–Brussels) is the directly elected legislature of the European Union, holding plenary sessions in Strasbourg and additional sittings in Brussels. It evolved from the consultative assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community into a co-legislator alongside the European Commission and the Council of the European Union under successive treaties such as the Treaty of Rome, the Maastricht Treaty, and the Lisbon Treaty. The institution’s membership, procedures, and locations reflect compromises among member states including France, Belgium, and Germany and interact with bodies like the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank.

History and development

The assembly originated as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952 and later became the European Parliamentary Assembly under the Treaty of Rome alongside the European Economic Community and the Euratom Community, featuring figures like Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet. Direct universal suffrage was introduced by the 1979 elections influenced by leaders such as Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand, transforming the assembly into a directly elected parliament that expanded through successive enlargements including the 1973 enlargement, the 1995 enlargement, the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, and the 2007 enlargement of the European Union. Institutional powers grew via the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty, the Treaty of Amsterdam, and the Treaty of Nice, culminating in the Lisbon Treaty which solidified co-decision as the ordinary legislative procedure and increased the Parliament’s role in appointing the President of the European Commission and approving international agreements such as the European Economic Area arrangements.

Organisation and composition

The Parliament comprises 705 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) elected from national constituencies including delegations from countries like Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Greece under proportional representation systems such as the D'Hondt method used by several states; the distribution of seats follows demographic and treaty-based rules exemplified by the Treaty of Lisbon provisions. The internal structure includes the President of the European Parliament, the Bureau of the European Parliament, the Conference of Presidents, the Secretary-General of the European Parliament, and administrative directorates that liaise with institutions like the European External Action Service and the European Investment Bank. Political alignment is expressed through transnational groups such as the European People's Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the Renew Europe Group, the Identity and Democracy Party, and the European Conservatives and Reformists, while independent MEPs and delegation groups represent parties like La République En Marche!, Law and Justice (Poland), Sinn Féin, and Syriza.

Roles and powers

Under the Lisbon Treaty the Parliament exercises powers including the ordinary legislative procedure shared with the Council of the European Union, budgetary authority alongside the Council of the European Union and oversight powers over the European Commission including confirmation hearings for Commissioners nominated by member states such as Greece, Portugal, and Hungary. It can approve or reject international agreements like the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement negotiations and conducts democratic scrutiny through instruments such as written questions, oral questions, committees of inquiry, and the power to adopt motions of censure analogous to no-confidence mechanisms used in national systems exemplified by debates involving leaders like José Manuel Barroso and Ursula von der Leyen. The Parliament also plays roles in appointments to bodies including the European Ombudsman and influences policy areas from the Schengen Area and Common Agricultural Policy to regulation touching the European Medicines Agency and European Securities and Markets Authority.

Sessions and locations (Strasbourg and Brussels)

Plenary sessions are formally held in Strasbourg at the Palais de l'Europe for twelve monthly sessions, while additional plenary and committee meetings take place in Brussels at the Europa building and the Paul-Henri Spaak building; administrative, secretariat, and liaison offices operate in Luxembourg and national capitals such as Rome, Berlin, and Paris. The dual-seat arrangement stems from post-war compromises involving French President Charles de Gaulle and European integration debates resolved in accords tied to the Treaties of Paris (1951), and has faced legal and political challenges from groups like European Federalists and national parliaments including the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. Transport logistics link Strasbourg and Brussels via TGV and air connections, while controversies over the so-called "travelling circus" have led to campaigns by NGOs such as Friends of the Earth and reports by the European Court of Auditors.

Legislative procedures and committees

Legislation follows procedures including the ordinary legislative procedure (co-decision), consultation, and consent, with stages resembling first reading and second reading negotiations managed through trilogues involving the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and Parliament rapporteurs often drawn from committees such as the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Specialized bodies include the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Legal Affairs, and temporary committees for inquiries into matters like the LuxLeaks or financial crises involving institutions such as Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs. Legislative files interact with agencies and frameworks such as the European Green Deal, the Digital Services Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, and the Stability and Growth Pact.

Elections and political groups

Elections take place every five years under systems determined by member states with examples including national lists, regional constituencies, and thresholds such as those used in Germany, France, Spain, and Greece; historically notable elections occurred in 1979, 1999, 2004, 2014, and 2019 with campaign issues involving figures like Nigel Farage, Guy Verhofstadt, Alexis Tsipras, and Marine Le Pen. After elections, MEPs form transnational political groups governed by rules of the European Parliament Rules of Procedure and registered with the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations, creating blocs such as the Greens/European Free Alliance, the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left, and alliances with national parties including Conservative Party (UK), Parti Socialiste (France), Fidesz and Civic Platform (Poland).

Facilities and logistics (transport, security, publications)

Facilities encompass the Hemicycle plenary chamber in Strasbourg, the Europa building media centre in Brussels, translation and interpretation services covering 24 official languages provided by in-house interpreters and contractors, publishing outputs including the Official Journal of the European Union and the Parliament's own reports and minutes, and security cooperation with agencies like Europol, national gendarmerie and police forces of France and Belgium, and private contractors. Logistics include shuttle trains such as Thalys or TGV, document archives stored in Luxembourg and digital repositories interoperable with platforms like EUR-Lex and CORDIS, while the Parliament’s outreach uses channels including the European Youth Event, the Europe Direct network, and educational initiatives with institutions like College of Europe and Maison de l'Europe.

Category:European Parliament