European Parliament Secretariat

European Parliament Secretariat
Name	European Parliament Secretariat
Formation	1958
Headquarters	Brussels
Region served	European Union
Parent organization	European Parliament

European Parliament Secretariat is the administrative body that supports the European Parliament in its legislative, oversight, and representative activities. It provides procedural advice to Members of the European Parliament, drafts documentation for plenary sessions and committees, and manages logistics across sites in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg City. The Secretariat interfaces with other institutions such as the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the European Council to coordinate interinstitutional procedures like the Ordinary Legislative Procedure.

History and development

The Secretariat traces its origins to the early assemblies of the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community where administrative services supported delegates after the Treaty of Rome. During the expansion rounds of 1973, 1981, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2007, and 2013, the Secretariat adapted to increased representation following accession of United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, and Bulgaria. Institutional reforms such as the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty, the Amsterdam Treaty, the Nice Treaty, and the Lisbon Treaty reshaped the Secretariat’s remit, particularly after the Parliament gained co-decision powers with the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. Key procedural innovations, including the adoption of electronic document management and multilingual services, were influenced by cooperation with agencies like the European Court of Auditors and the European Ombudsman.

Structure and organization

The Secretariat is organized into directorates-general that mirror parliamentary functions: legislative support, research, translation, interpretation, legal affairs, and security. Directorates reflect administrative units such as the Directorate-General for Communication, Directorate-General for Translation, Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, and Directorate-General for Informatics, each coordinated from hubs in Brussels and Luxembourg City. Secretariat divisions work closely with parliamentary committees (e.g., Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Budgets, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs), the Conference of Presidents, and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. Liaison offices in national capitals and links with the European External Action Service enable external coordination.

Roles and functions

The Secretariat provides procedural advice during plenary sittings of the European Parliament and supports rapporteurs, shadow rapporteurs, and committee chairs in preparing reports, opinions, and amendments for interinstitutional negotiations with the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. It manages multilingual translation and interpretation for debates in all official European Union languages, drafts minutes and voting records, and operates the legislative observatory and document repository used by MEPs and staff. The Secretariat also administers election-related legal frameworks such as coordination of the European Parliament election timetable and works with the European Court of Justice on procedural compliance.

Leadership and administration

Senior management is led by a Secretary-General, appointed by the European Parliament Bureau, who oversees directorates and represents the Secretariat in interinstitutional bodies like the Interinstitutional Agreement committees and the Conciliation Committee. Administrative oversight involves coordination with the European Court of Auditors for financial control and audits, and with the European Ombudsman on transparency and ethics matters. Bureau decisions and plenary resolutions guide the Secretariat’s strategic plans, while the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) procedures intersect with personnel and procurement oversight.

Staff and recruitment

Staff include administrators, assistants, interpreters, translators, security officers, and IT professionals recruited under rules established by the European Personnel Selection Office and governed by the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union. Recruitments involve EPSO competitions, internal promotions, and secondments from member state administrations and national parliaments. The Secretariat implements diversity and equal opportunities policies in line with decisions of the European Parliament and cooperates with staff representative bodies and trade unions such as European Federation of Public Service Unions when negotiating working conditions.

Budget and resources

The Secretariat’s budget is part of the European Parliament annual budget, adopted jointly with the Council of the European Union as part of the EU annual budgetary procedure. Expenditure lines cover staff costs, interpretation and translation services, security, building maintenance in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg City, and IT infrastructure linking to the Interinstitutional portal and legislative observatory platforms. Financial oversight is provided by the European Court of Auditors and budgetary control is exercised by the Committee on Budgets and the Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee.

Relations with other EU institutions

The Secretariat maintains formal and operational relations with the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice, the European Central Bank, and EU agencies including the European Medicines Agency and the European Environment Agency for specialist briefings and information exchange. It participates in interinstitutional negotiations, such as trilogues with the Commission and the Council, supports interparliamentary delegations to partner legislatures like the United States Congress and the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and coordinates with diplomatic services, notably the European External Action Service, on parliamentary diplomacy and protocol.

Category:European Parliament