| General Secretariat of the European Parliament | |
|---|---|
| Name | General Secretariat of the European Parliament |
| Formation | 1958 |
| Headquarters | Brussels |
| Region served | European Union |
| Parent organisation | European Parliament |
General Secretariat of the European Parliament is the administrative and managerial body that supports the European Parliament in exercising its institutional functions. It provides procedural, legislative, legal, logistical and diplomatic support to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), committees such as the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and political groups including the European People's Party and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. It operates within the framework set by the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
The Secretariat traces its origins to the early permanent organs created during the sessions of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Parliamentary Assembly in the 1950s, evolving through the Treaty of Rome institutional changes that established the European Economic Community. It was shaped by subsequent instruments including the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty, the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Treaty of Nice, and the Treaty of Lisbon which refined interinstitutional relations with the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. Key legal texts governing its operation include the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament and administrative decisions adopted by the President of the European Parliament and the Conference of Presidents (European Parliament). Historical milestones involved interactions with bodies such as the European Coal and Steel Community institutions, the European Atomic Energy Community, and episodes like the European Parliament building dispute between Brussels and Strasbourg.
The Secretariat is organised into directorates-general and directorates mirroring functional divisions present in other European institutions such as the European Commission and the European Court of Auditors. Its internal hierarchy aligns with posts analogous to those in the European External Action Service and national assemblies like the Bundestag or the Assemblée nationale. Administrative units coordinate with delegations to third countries, the European Investment Bank, and agencies such as the European Environment Agency, the European Medicines Agency, and the European Banking Authority. The Secretariat operates across sites in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg, interfacing with interinstitutional mechanisms including the Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline and the European Ombudsman.
The Secretariat provides procedural support for plenary sittings involving legislative acts like regulations, directives and decisions under the Ordinary Legislative Procedure. It prepares agendas in cooperation with bodies such as the Conference of Committee Chairs and services MEPs from groups including Identity and Democracy and Renew Europe. Legal services draft opinions referencing jurisprudence from the Court of Justice of the European Union and administrative litigation before the General Court (European Union). Translation and interpretation services work alongside institutions such as the European Commission Directorate-General for Translation and the European Court of Human Rights interpreters, enabling multilingual debates in languages like French, German, and Spanish. Protocol and diplomatic units liaise with delegations from NATO countries, the United Nations, and the African Union.
The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, a post occupied historically by senior officials drawn from administrations such as the Belgian Government or the French Conseil d'État and appointed by the European Parliament's plenary on the proposal of the President of the European Parliament. The Secretary-General works with Directors-General responsible for areas comparable to those overseen by the European Commissioner for Budget and Administration and cooperates with committees such as the Committee on Budgetary Control (European Parliament). Administrative governance follows rules similar to those in the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and is subject to oversight by the European Court of Auditors and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
Key services include Legislative Coordination, Legal Services, Translation, Interpretation, Secretariat for Committees, Library and Archives, Information Technology, Security, Facilities Management, Personnel, and Press and Communications. These services cooperate with external bodies such as the European Central Bank, the European Securities and Markets Authority, the European Chemicals Agency, the European Agency for Fundamental Rights, and research partners like the Joint Research Centre and universities such as Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Sorbonne University. Specialist departments support parliamentary diplomacy through delegations to regions including Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership, and organisations like the Council of Europe.
The Secretariat's budget is part of the European Parliament's administrative expenditure within the EU annual budget adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union under the Interinstitutional Agreement on budgetary discipline. Resources finance staff governed by the European Personnel Selection Office rules and contracts, servicing infrastructure in sites such as the Europa building and the Palace of Europe. Financial audits and accountability are performed by the European Court of Auditors and internal control functions liaise with Eurostat standards and the European Investment Fund where relevant instrument funding is involved. Staffing levels and procurement actions follow directives set out in the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Union and are scrutinised by parliamentary bodies including the Committee on Budgets (European Parliament).