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| Parliament of the European Union | |
|---|---|
| Name | Parliament of the European Union |
| House type | Supranational legislature |
| Established | 1952 (Common Assembly), 1979 (direct elections) |
| Leader | President |
| Members | 705 |
| Last election | 2019 European Parliament election |
| Meeting place | Strasbourg, Brussels, Luxembourg |
Parliament of the European Union is the directly elected supranational assembly representing citizens of the member states of the European Union. It sits alongside the European Council, Council of the European Union, and European Commission in the EU's institutional framework. The chamber's activities intersect with landmark treaties such as the Treaty of Rome, Single European Act, Maastricht Treaty, Lisbon Treaty and interact with policies shaped by events like the Enlargement of the European Union and the Eurozone crisis.
The institution functions as a transnational legislature that debates and adopts legislation, approves the European Commission and scrutinises executive actions, and shapes budgetary outcomes through interaction with the Council of the European Union and the European Court of Justice. Its plenary sessions convene in Strasbourg, committee work is concentrated in Brussels, and administration is housed in Luxembourg. The chamber's members sit in transnational political groups such as the European People's Party, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, Identity and Democracy, Greens–European Free Alliance, European Conservatives and Reformists, and non-attached members.
Origins trace to the European Coal and Steel Community's Common Assembly and to debates following the Treaty of Paris. The institution evolved through the Treaty of Rome which created the European Economic Community, the first direct elections in 1979 influenced by leaders like Jacques Delors and political dynamics involving Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand. Expansion phases—1973 enlargement, 1986 enlargement, 2004 enlargement—and crises including the Maastricht convergence criteria debates and the European sovereign debt crisis reshaped its powers. The Lisbon Treaty significantly augmented legislative authority and budgetary powers, affecting relationships with the European Council and national parliaments such as the House of Commons and Bundestag.
Members are Members of the European Parliament elected by citizens of member states under rules blending proportional representation and degressive proportionality; national systems include party lists used in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and regional lists in Belgium and Ireland. The chamber's size and allocation reflect treaty provisions and rulings by the European Court of Justice, and electoral cycles correspond to events like the 2019 European Parliament election and the anticipated 2024 European Parliament election. Key features include transnational party groups tied to national parties such as Partito Democratico (Italy), Les Républicains, Sinn Féin, Fidesz, Civic Platform (Poland), and campaign issues linked to episodes like Brexit and the Migrant crisis in Europe.
Powers derive from treaties and include co-legislative authority in the ordinary legislative procedure, budgetary authority alongside the Council of the European Union, and consent powers for high-level appointments such as the President of the European Commission and trade agreements like the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. Oversight functions encompass scrutiny of the European Central Bank, the European Investment Bank, and inquiries into scandals spotlighted in media outlets and by bodies like the European Ombudsman. External relations roles involve consent and oversight in association agreements with countries and regions involved in frameworks such as the Stabilisation and Association Process and the European Neighbourhood Policy.
Legislation commonly proceeds under the ordinary legislative procedure where the Parliament and the Council act as co-legislators; the process entails readings, committee amendments, conciliation committees, and final adoption. Committees such as AFET, BUDG, AFCO, and LIBE conduct dossier work and report to plenary. Decision-making often requires qualified majority voting in the Council and majority votes in plenary, influenced by political groups and rapporteurs drawn from members affiliated with entities like European Green Party and Party of European Socialists.
Internal structure includes the President of the Parliament, Vice-Presidents, the Conference of Presidents coordinating political group leaders, and the Secretariat General administering services in Luxembourg. Administrative bodies manage translation, interpretation, legal service, and library functions reflecting multilingual needs among official languages such as English language, French language, German language, Spanish language, and Polish language. Facilities and logistical arrangements interact with municipal authorities in Strasbourg, Brussels, and Luxembourg City, while protocols reflect interactions with heads of state like Charles Michel and commissioners such as Ursula von der Leyen.
Relations are defined by treaty-generated balances and practical cooperation with the European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Council, European Court of Justice, European Central Bank, and advisory bodies such as the Committee of the Regions and European Economic and Social Committee. Regularities include interinstitutional agreements, trilogues involving Council and Commission officials, and nomination and scrutiny hearings for Commissioners originating from member states such as France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.
Critiques target perceived democratic deficit debates traced to commentators referencing Joschka Fischer and scholars in works comparing the chamber to national legislatures like the Bundestag and French National Assembly. Critics point to transparency concerns in trilogue practices, expense controversies paralleling scandals in legislatures such as the United States Congress, and voter turnout declines since early direct elections. Reform proposals range from expanding transnational lists advocated by figures like Guy Verhofstadt to treaty changes proposed in forums such as the Convention on the Future of Europe and calls for enhanced budgetary powers similar to national parliaments including the Riksdag and Cortes Generales.