The European Parliament.
Date: 2009-11-16
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Parliament, operation of the Institutions, powers of the institutions (EU)

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The European Parliament

Contents

■	 Welcome to the European Parliament! 

■	 The European Parliament — working for you  

■	 Managing the European purse 

■	 Guardian of liberties and democracy  

■	 The European Parliament and EU enlargements   

■	 The European Parliament on the world stage   

■	 Defending human rights 

■	 How the European Parliament works  

■	 An office near you  

■	 Co-decision: how it works 

■	 How the EU budget is adopted 

■	 EU keywords 

■	 Milestones in European integration 

■	 European Parliament addresses 

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Welcome to the 
Welcome to the 
European Parliament
European Parliament

The  European  Parliament  is  the  European  Union  institution 
which is elected by universal suffrage. It represents half a billion 
citizens in the EU’s 27 Member States. It is a place where lively 
political debates are held.  It decides on matters which concern 
all the citizens of the European Union.

Since 1979, when it was first elected by universal suffrage, the 
European Parliament has gained more and more powers, parti-
cularly as co-legislator with the Council of the European Union 
and as budgetary authority. 

The European Parliament champions the respect for human ri-
ghts and is the guardian of freedom and democracy.

This brochure will give you an insight into its workings and its 
role, and hopefully encourage you to take an active part in buil-
ding a dynamic European Union which is open to the world.

Jerzy Buzek
President of the European Parliament

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The European Parliament is the only multinational parliamentary assembly in the world 
elected  by  universal  suffrage  and,  since  June  1979,  the  European  Union’s  only  directly 
elected institution. Elections are held every five years. The June 2009 elections coincided 
with the 30th anniversary of the first European elections by universal suffrage. 736 Mem-
bers from 27 countries were elected in June 2009, sitting in groups formed on the basis of 
political affiliation rather than nationality.  

The European Parliament’s official seat is in Strasbourg, on the border between France and Ger-
many, a location that symbolises reconciliation in Europe after two world wars. As decided by the 
Member States of the EU, Parliament holds 12 plenary sessions every year in Strasbourg. Its com-
mittees meet in Brussels, where additional plenary sessions are also held. Debates in Parliament’s 
chamber are conducted in all the EU’s official languages, reflecting its commitment to a varied and 
multicultural Union which is ‘united in diversity’.

An increasingly important role

Since 1979 successive European treaties have increased the powers of the European Parliament. 
It now has equal weight with the Council (representing the EU governments) when it comes 
to  drafting  the  EU  budget  and  laws  designed  to  facilitate  the  movement  of  persons,  goods, 
services and capital within the EU or to protect the environment, and consumers. It also has the 
power to approve and dismiss the European Commission.

Citizens can petition Parliament with requests or complaints concerning the application of Euro-
pean  law.  MEPs  elect  a  European  Ombudsman  who  investigates  citizens’  complaints  against 
the EU for maladministration. They can set up a committee of inquiry if they believe EU law has 
been broken.

Internationally, Parliament participates in EU foreign policy. Its assent is required for any inter-
national treaty the EU signs up to as well as for any enlargement of the EU. It regularly debates 
human  rights  issues  and  sends  observers  around  the  world  to  check  that  elections  are  con-
ducted freely and fairly.

The  most  recent  revision  of  the  treaties,  agreed  at  the  European  Council  meeting  in  Lisbon, 
should further increase Parliament’s powers in many areas.

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■	 The European 
Parliament —           
working for you

All of us, whatever our situation, young or not so young, 
students,  workers  or  pensioners,  and  certainly  as  con-
sumers, are affected by european laws, sometimes with-
out  realising  it.  healthier  food  on  our  plates,  freedom 
of movement and freedom to work anywhere in the eu, 
protection of the environment — in many areas europe’s 
elected representatives play a crucial role.

In  common  with  all  parliaments,  the  European  Parliament  de-
bates and adopts laws. That might seem absolutely normal, but 
for a long time it wasn’t the case. Initially, Members of the Euro-
pean Parliament were only able to give an opinion on legislative 
proposals from the European Commission; ultimately, it was al-
ways  the  Council  of  Ministers,  representing  the  Member  State 
governments, who had the last word on adopted laws.

Over the years, with the adoption of successive treaties, the role 
and  powers  of  the  European  Parliament  have  grown  substan-
tially, to the point where it is now a key player in the process of 
making Community law. Nowadays, in most cases, if a European 
regulation or directive is to come into being, Parliament and the 
Council must first agree on its content in a procedure known as 
‘co-decision’.

And before a European law can be applied in the EU’s Member 
States, it must first be signed by the President of the European 
Parliament and the President of the Council.

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mobile phones: cheaper to use abroad

Have you noticed? Your mobile phone bills are lower when 
you  come  back  from  holiday  abroad.  European  rules  which 
came  into  force  in  2007  have  imposed  ceilings  with  a  view 
to  gradually  reducing  the  additional  costs  incurred  for  calls 
made  or  received  in  another  EU  country.  After  lengthy  dis-
cussions with industry ministers, MEPs secured an agreement 
stipulating that, from 2009, these roaming charges will not in 
future exceed EUR 0.43 per minute for outgoing calls and EUR 
0.19 per minute for incoming calls (excluding VAT). These lim-
its will be reduced to EUR 0.35 per minute for outgoing calls 
and EUR 0.11 per minute for incoming calls from July 2011. 
From July 2009 the cost of a roaming SMS must not exceed 
EUR 0.11. The cost of sending emails and photos and surfing 
the  internet  from  a  mobile  phone  or  portable  computer  is 
also subject to a decreasing tariff ceiling depending on the 
number of kilobytes.

the european parliament, a fully-fledged legislator

Co-decision  is  the  legislative  procedure  currently  used  for  the 
vast majority of European laws, including those relating to the 
free  movement  of  goods,  services,  capital  and  persons  within 
the EU’s single market. It also applies in fields such as environ-
mental  protection,  consumer  rights  and  transport  safety,  and 
following  the  revision  of  the  treaties,  should  be  extended  to 
other areas, such as agriculture. Furthermore, Parliament plays a 
fundamental role in defining development policy and support 
programmes  for  research,  education  and  culture,  and  in  pro-
moting public health.

For  example,  MEPs  have  helped  make  it  easier  to  have  pro-
fessional  qualifications  recognised  in  other  Member  States, 
meaning that today it is far easier than  it  once  was  to  pursue 
a  profession  in  another  EU  country.  MEPs  have  been  involved 
in  developing  stricter  product  safety  and  labelling  standards, 
so that in the supermarket it is now easier to choose between 
products coming from all over Europe and everyone can now 
choose and purchase food products with or without GMOs in 
full knowledge of the facts. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The European Parliament has enhanced the rights of air and rail 
passengers, not least for the elderly and for people with reduced 
mobility, who can now obtain assistance. 

Come the summertime, what could be more pleasant than a re-
freshing swim in the sea or a lake? You can be sure that the water 
is cleaner than before thanks to European standards which were 
made stricter as a result of action by the European Parliament.

MEPs also contributed to the adoption of a package of meas-
ures to tackle the economic crisis and increase the transparency 
and improve the supervision of the European financial system. 
Parliament  was  also  involved  in  defining  the  rules  to  make 
crossborder  payments  simpler  and  cheaper,  and  increased  to 
EUR  100  000  the  bank  deposit  guarantee  in  the  event  of  the 
bankruptcy of a bank. 

The European Union has adopted an initial package of measures 
to  limit  the  effects  of  climate  change  worldwide  by  reducing 
greenhouse  gas  emissions  from  cars,  industry  and  power  sta-
tions.  Parliament  supported  the  objectives  of  lowering  green-
house  gas  emissions  by  20%,  improving  energy  efficiency  by 
20%  and  increasing  to  20%  the  share  of  renewable  energy  in 
the EU’s energy mix by 2020. 

■	

meps at your service

If you are a service provider — a tourist guide, perhaps, or a 
travel agent — the Services Directive now makes it easier for 
you to work abroad. Much disputed at the outset, this legisla-
tion would probably never have come to fruition had it not 
been  for  the  compromise  hammered  out  by  the  European 
Parliament after MEPs found a way to balance conflicting na-
tional interests, the rights of service providers and consumers 
and the needs of employees and employers.

meps showing initiative

If Parliament considers a draft law to be inappropriate and does 
not believe it can be improved, it has the power to reject the 
text in its entirety. This is what happened, for example, with a 
directive on liberalising port services, and another concerning 
software patents.

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MEPs have the right to make policy initiatives by suggesting to 
the Commission that it should submit a legislative proposal on 
a particular subject. They regularly ask the Commission and the 
Council to develop existing policies or devise new ones.

For example, it was the European Parliament which asked the 
Commission  to  submit  a  draft  law  regulating  and  facilitating 
transnational  inheritance  procedures,  on  the  basis  of  detailed 
recommendations.

Do you want your opinions to be taken into 
account?

The examples mentioned above show that European laws are 
about making people’s lives easier within the European Union 
and promoting equal opportunities and rights for all Europeans. 
They also promote trade in goods and services by establishing 
equivalent  conditions  for  companies  in  all  Member  States.  So 
when, every five years, European citizens elect their representa-
tives  to  the  European  Parliament  they  are  participating  in  the 
process of creating laws that concern them directly.

Furthermore, under the Lisbon Treaty, it will be possible for one 
million citizens to come together to ask the EU to propose new 
laws.

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using chemicals in complete safety

Chemical  products  are  everywhere  in  our  lives. While  there 
is no doubting their usefulness, questions persist over their 
safety  for  our  health  and  for  the  environment.  Recognising 
this, the EU has adopted a regulation (called ‘REACH’) requir-
ing a reassessment of the thousands of chemical products on 
the market and the withdrawal of the most dangerous ones. 
Thanks to MEPs’ persistence, the emphasis was put on devel-
oping new and less harmful substances, and in so doing mini-
mising the use of animal testing.

For more information, see the section ‘Co-decision: how it works’ on 

page 35.

 
 
 
 
 
 
■	 Managing the 
European purse

new  motorways,  cleaner  beaches,  medical  research, 
studying  abroad:  we  all  benefit  in  one  way  or  another 
from activities funded by the european union. And who 
decides  on  the  framework  for  programmes  and  actions 
to be financed at european level? Answer: the european 
parliament  does,  with  the  agreement  of  the  member 
States’  governments.  here  are  some  examples  of  activ-
ities supported by your meps.

Every year MEPs spend long months negotiating with the Coun-
cil,  on  the  basis  of  proposals  from  the  Commission,  to  fix  the 
Union’s  expenditure  for  the  following  year. The  budget  finally 
agreed  on,  which  must  comply  with  multiannual  ceilings,  is 
important because it determines the level of financial support 
given  by  the  EU  in  all  its  areas  of  activity  to  ensure  solidarity, 
sustainable  economic  growth  and  social  cohesion.  Parliament 
has the power to reject the budget and demand a new draft if 
it  does  not  believe  sufficient  consideration  has  been  given  to 
its priorities.

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Where does the community’s money go?

Financial framework 2007–2013 (rounded figures)

Sustainable growth: regional 
economic development, 
action to promote growth, 
competitiveness and 
employment 
382 Mrd EUR (44 %)

Conservation and 
management of natural 
resources: agriculture, 
sustainable development and 
the environment 
371 Mrd EUR (43 %)

The EU as a global player: 
external action, development 
policy, humanitarian aid
49 Mrd EUR (6 %)

Other expenditure, including 
administration 
51 Mrd EUR (6 %)

Citizenship, freedom, security 
and justice: protection of citizens’ 
rights, free movement of people, 
police and judicial cooperation, 
combating terrorism
11 Mrd EUR (1 %)

promoting sustainable economic development …

A large part of the Community’s budget is used to boost eco-
nomic growth and reduce disparities between Europe’s various 
regions: constructing motorways and railways linking Member 
States,  helping  small  firms  and  supporting  technological  re-
search and innovation projects (e.g. for developing renewable 
energies), etc. Agriculture, which is the only policy entirely ad-
ministered at EU level, receives a large share of the budget.

However, with the European Parliament’s support, other areas 
are growing in importance, such as preservation of the environ-
ment, particularly through the creation of regional natural parks, 
the  conservation  of  protected  species,  the  management  of  
water resources and efforts to combat climate change.

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Some of the EU budget is spent on funding economic develop-
ment  in  other  parts  of  the  world  and  on  humanitarian  aid  to 
help countries afflicted by natural disasters and crises.

… and the interests of citizens and consumers

The fight against global epidemics such as AIDS or avian flu can 
be more effectively waged by countries acting together. The EU, 
encouraged by Parliament, is therefore playing an increasingly 
active role in the area of public health, including financing re-
search projects to develop new medicines.

In recent years MEPs have made use of their powers to expand 
programmes promoting European cultural diversity and to en-
courage  the  distribution  of  artistic  and  cultural  products  and 
works  in  areas  such  as  cinema,  music,  painting,  photography 
and theatre.

Parliament has approved the creation of a Globalisation Adjust-
ment Fund with a budget of EUR 500 million a year intended to 
help workers who are laid off due to industrial restructuring in 
an international context. In 2009, in the middle of the economic 
crisis, the Fund’s scope was extended and the intervention cri-
teria were relaxed. 

investing in the future

The European Parliament has a say on the multiannual financial 
framework, which sets the expenditure ceilings in each area of 
EU policy. For example, during the negotiation of the framework 
for  the  period  up  until  2013,  MEPs  had  to  fight  hard  with  the 
Member States to secure additional funding for projects which 
European citizens see as important; projects such as the Erasmus 
programme, which every year enables over 150 000 students to 
study at a foreign university, European transport networks and, 
more generally, research and innovation.

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Where does the community’s money come from?

The  EU  budget  is  financed  mainly  by  contributions  from 
the Member States calculated on the basis of their national 
wealth, but some money comes from part of the VAT levied 
throughout the EU on goods and services and from customs 
duties levied at the Union’s external borders on industrial and 
agricultural  products  imported  from  outside  the  EU.  Parlia-
ment  is  pushing  for  a  new  system  of  financing  that  would 
establish a direct link between the European Union and Euro-
pean taxpayers, without, however, increasing their taxes.

expenditure under the microscope

With the help of the European Court of Auditors, Parliament con-
tinually checks that the budget is being properly managed and 
ensures that action is taken should any fraud be discovered.

Each year the European Commission and the other EU institutions 
are required to demonstrate to Parliament that they have made 
appropriate use of the EU money made available to them. This 
is known as the ‘budget discharge’ procedure. The Commission 
must take into account any recommendations made by MEPs.

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is the eu expensive?

Barely 1 % of the Union’s gross national income, equivalent 
to around EUR 235 per inhabitant, comes into the EU’s an-
nual budget. The total amount, more than EUR 100 billion, 
is  very  small  compared  with  the  amounts  paid  in  national 
taxes. Nevertheless, this money makes it possible to finance 
important policies designed to help European citizens. For 
its part, the European Parliament costs less than three euros 
a year for each EU citizen.

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For more information, see the section ‘How the EU budget is adopted’, 
page 38.

 
 
 
■	 Guardian of liberties 
and democracy

As  the  only  elected  institution  of  the  european  union, 
parliament takes very seriously its role as a guardian of 
liberties and democracy, both in europe and throughout 
the world. the meps’ task is primarily to represent citizens 
at european level and pass on their views to eu leaders 
and the institutions of the union.

The European Charter of Fundamental Rights brings together 
in  a  single  document  the  civil,  political,  economic  and  social 
rights  hitherto  enshrined  in  a  number  of  national,  European 
and international acts. Drafted by a Convention including MEPs 
and members of national parliaments, the Charter was formally 
proclaimed in December 2000 at a European Summit in Nice. 
In December 2007 in Lisbon, with the signing of the new treaty, 
the EU’s Heads of State or Government agreed to make it le-
gally binding, as called for by the European Parliament. Certain 
Member States, such as the United Kingdom and Poland, have 
however obtained an opt-out in respect of its legal status.

With the principle of human dignity at the core of their political 
action, MEPs invoke this Charter whenever they condemn hu-
man rights violations in the European Union.

Parliament is particularly sensitive to the issue of tolerance, and 
fights determinedly against all forms of discrimination, whether 
on the basis of sex, race, ethnic or social origin, language, re-
ligion, political opinion, disability, age or sexual orientation. It 
takes a stand against racism and xenophobia, never misses an 

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opportunity  to  highlight  the  need  for  compliance  with  Euro-
pean gender equality standards and uses its power to ensure 
that the rights of people with disabilities are respected.

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combating all forms of exploitation of women

Efforts to combat all forms of violence against women, com-
bat  trafficking  in  human  beings  for  sexual  exploitation  and 
help  women  escape  poverty  are  in  many  cases  initiated  by 
the  European  Parliament.  Parliament  does  all  it  can  to  pro-
mote gender equality, and was instrumental in setting up the 
European  Gender  Institute,  which  is  responsible  for  moni-
toring progress in this area. Through its plenary resolutions 
it keeps up pressure on EU governments and institutions to 
improve the lot of all women.

protecting freedoms in all circumstances

Following  the  terrorist  attacks  of  September  2001  in  the  USA 
and  those in Madrid in March 2004 and in London in July 2005, 
EU  Member  States  stepped  up  their  cooperation  in  the  fight 
against terrorism. While Parliament supports the efforts to co-
ordinate police and judicial action, which is the only effective 
way of countering these cross-border threats, it refuses to allow 
citizens’ rights to bear the brunt of a policy based entirely on 
security considerations.

MEPs believe that the fight against terrorism must respect indi-
vidual freedoms, so as not to jeopardise the core values of Euro-
pean democracy. This is their constant message on every issue 

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they  deal  with  in  this  area,  from  agreements  with  the  United 

States  on  the  transfer  of  air  passengers’  personal  data,  to  call- 

data retention by telephone companies or the exchange of bank 

transfer  data.  MEPs  also  supported  the  revision  of  the  money 

laundering directive to cover the financing of terrorism.

Parliament played a major role in the creation of the new Euro-

pean Fundamental Rights Agency, which is based in Vienna and 

is responsible for ensuring that fundamental rights are protected 

in the Member States. It liaises closely with the European Data 

Protection Supervisor, whose role is to monitor the protection of 

personal data and privacy throughout the Union.

replying to petitions from citizens

Any citizen of the European Union or resident of an EU Member 

State  may,  individually  or  in  association  with  others,  submit  a 

petition to the European Parliament on a subject which comes 

within the European Union’s fields of activity and which affects 

them directly. The petition may present an individual request, a 

complaint or observation concerning the application of EU law 

or an appeal to the European Parliament to adopt a position on 

a specific matter.

Many petitions highlight difficulties in connection with the ap-

plication  of  existing  EU  directives,  notably  in  the  areas  of  the 

environment,  social  security,  recognition  of  qualifications  and 

some aspects of the functioning of the EU single market. Gener-

ally, they bear witness to problems encountered by citizens with 

the way in which EU legislation combines with national law or 

with the incorrect interpretation of the areas in which EU law 

applies. Parliament helps to resolve these problems.

Address to which you can mail your petitions: page 48.

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■	

Silicone implants: petitions lead to stricter 
legislation

Two  petitions  were  submitted  to  the  European  Parliament 
in  1998  highlighting  the  negative  health  effects  of  silicone 
breast implants and calling for them to be banned immedi-
ately. The ensuing debates in Parliament, its resolutions on the 
subject and a study commissioned by MEPs led the Commis-
sion to clarify and strengthen the provisions on information 
for patients, tracking and surveillance. A directive adopted in 
2003 substantially enhanced the quality and safety checks to 
be carried out before breast implants can be placed on the 
European market.

Supervising the european commission

The  Commission  President  can  only  be  appointed  with  the 
approval of the European Parliament. MEPs question the Com-
missioners-designate  (i.e.  the  individuals  nominated  by  their 
governments) on their skills and suitability for the relevant post. 
They have the power to reject nominees whom they regard as 
unsuitable (which they did in 2004).

Parliament votes to approve the Commission en bloc in a vote 
of confidence. It may force the Commission to resign, again en 
bloc, by means of a vote of censure. However, a censure of the 
Commission  (requiring  an  absolute  majority  of  MEPs  and  two 
thirds of the votes cast) is viewed as a ‘last resort’ and has yet 
to occur, although in 1999 the prospect of Parliament passing 
a vote of no-confidence in the Santer Commission  over  fraud 
allegations led to it resigning.

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Moreover,  Parliament  keeps  a  close  eye  on  the  Commission’s 
work,  scrutinising  the  provisions  of  its  reports  on  EU  policies, 
legislation  and  the  budget.  Commissioners  are  often  required 
to  appear  before  MEPs,  at  committee  meetings  or  in  plenary, 
to defend their policies, explain what action they intend to take 
and answer questions.

■	

And the euro?

MEPs scrutinise the management of Europe’s single currency 
by inviting the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) 
to  come  and  explain  his  policies  before  its  Economic  and 
Monetary  Affairs  Committee.  Furthermore,  before  any  ap-
pointment can be made, be it of the ECB President or of the 
other members of the Executive Board, Parliament has to be 
consulted.

monitoring the council’s work

The Council Presidency regularly meets the chairmen of Parlia-
ment’s political groups and attends part sessions to explain its 
programme, report on the results and debate them with MEPs. 
The Presidency also often attends meetings of the parliamentary  
committees. Parliament’s President states its key policy recom-
mendations at the start of each EU summit (or ‘European Coun-
cil’), where national leaders agree on overall policy guidelines.

At a plenary session or in writing, MEPs may put questions to the 
Council Presidency on any topic, including the need for action 
to remedy breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule 
of law.

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the ombudsman

Parliament elects an Ombudsman to examine cases of mal-
administration  by  EU  institutions  which  are  brought  to  his 
attention by citizens and companies with a view to settling 
disputes.  MEPs  determine  the  rules  and  general  conditions 
governing the performance of the Ombudsman’s duties. He 
works from offices on the EP’s premises.

cooperating closely with national parliaments

Finally,  the  European  Parliament  is  involved  in  building  and 
maintaining  close  links  with  national  parliaments  in  the  Euro-
pean  Union.  This  interparliamentary  cooperation  is  intended 
essentially to reinforce the parliamentary dimension of the EU 
by extending democratic scrutiny of and accountability for de-
cisions at EU level, thus ensuring more transparency and open-
ness in the decision-making process. It improves the democratic 
legitimacy, quality and efficiency of the European Union’s legis-
lative process.

The  reform  of  the Treaties  includes  provisions  designed  to  in-
volve the national parliaments even more closely in the institu-
tional process.

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■	 The European 
Parliament and EU 
enlargements

When  new  countries  wish  to  join  the  european  union, 
parliament must give its consent. meps check that the ap-
plicant countries fulfil the criteria laid down in the trea-
ties, particularly with regard to human rights.

The European Union cannot accept new Member States with-
out the European Parliament’s assent. It is up to the Council and 
the Commission to negotiate with the applicant countries and 
to set the date of accession, but MEPs monitor the procedure 
until the very day of the accession to make sure that all the con-
ditions for membership of the EU are met.

Any country seeking membership of the European Union must 
conform  to  the ‘Copenhagen  criteria’,  so  called  after  the  city 
where, in 1993, the heads of state and government established 
the conditions for accession (those conditions have since been 
tightened).

To be able to join the EU, an applicant country must meet three 
criteria:

—  political:  stability  of  institutions  guaranteeing  democracy, 
the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of 
minorities;
— economic: existence of a functioning market economy and 
the  capacity  to  cope  with  competitive  pressure  and  market 
forces within the Union;

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— acceptance of the Community acquis: ability to take on the 
obligations of membership, including adherence to the aims of 
political, economic and monetary union.

In addition, Parliament has called for consideration to be given 
both to the applicant countries’ preparations for joining and to 
the Union’s absorption capacity, stressing that no new enlarge-
ment will be possible on the basis of the Nice Treaty.

■	

the eu: from 6 member States to 27

March 1957 Belgium, West Germany, France, Italy, 

Luxembourg and the Netherlands

January 1973 Denmark, Ireland and the United 

Kingdom

January 1981 Greece

January 1986  Spain and Portugal

November 1990 Reunification of Germany, integration of 

former GDR

January 1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden

May 2004 Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, 

Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, 
Slovenia and Slovakia  

January 2007 Bulgaria and Romania

During the last parliamentary term MEPs debated on several oc-
casions  the  applicant  countries’  readiness  to  join  the  EU. They 
gave  the  go-ahead  for  opening  negotiations  with Turkey  and 
Croatia,  and  supported  the  candidacy  of  the  Former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia, although formal negotiations with that 
country have not yet started.

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■	 The European 
Parliament on the world 
stage

the european parliament is making its influence increas-
ingly felt in eu foreign policy and its approval is required 
for most international agreements entered into by the eu. 
by promoting joint parliamentary assemblies meps main-
tain close links with lawmakers around the world, and the 
european parliament’s chamber is an important stage for 
international leaders and other eminent persons.

no international agreements  
without the european parliament

MEPs’ assent is required for most of the international agreements 
which the EU enters into — a number of financial protocols with 
non-EU countries have been rejected by Parliament on human 
rights grounds. Furthermore, MEPs make recommendations to 
the Commission concerning the trade negotiations conducted 
under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and 
those recommendations carry a great deal of weight as Parlia-
ment has to approve the outcome of negotiations in the WTO.

eu foreign policy closely scrutinised by meps

Parliament is consulted by the Council on major foreign-policy 
decisions. MEPs can ask questions about the Council’s policies 
and make recommendations. The Union’s High Representative 
for the Common Foreign and Security Policy is regularly invited 
to report to plenary on the EU’s activities around the world. In 

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development policy, MEPs give priority to fighting poverty and 
promoting good governance, democracy and human rights. 

The European Parliament is constantly working to build political, 
economic and cultural links with other parliaments around the 
world.  Members  participate  in  the  African,  Caribbean,  Pacific/
EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (ACP/EU); the EuroMed Parlia-
mentary  Assembly  (EMPA),  including  the  Palestinian  Authority 
and Israel; and the Euro-Latin American Assembly (EuroLat).

leaders from around the world received at the 
european parliament

The European Parliament regularly invites heads of state, prime 
ministers and other eminent persons from around the world 
to  address  MEPs  at  a  plenary  session.  In  recent  years  visitors 
to  Parliament  have  included  President  Viktor  Yushchenko  of 
Ukraine, President Evo Morales of Bolivia, President Ellen John-
son  Sirleaf  of  Liberia,  President  Pervez  Musharraf  of  Pakistan, 
President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, Prime 
Minister  Fouad  Siniora  of  Lebanon,  President  Gloria  Macapa-
gal-Arroyo  of  the  Philippines,  the  Emir  of  Qatar  Hamad  Bin 
Khalifa Al Thani and President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia.

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■	 Defending human 
rights

in  europe  and  around  the  world,  parliament  acts  to  up-
hold human rights, freedoms and democracy. it sends ob-
servers to the four corners of the planet to monitor elec-
tions for irregularities. meps ensure that human rights are 
protected in the eu’s external economic and trade agree-
ments,  and  each  year  they  award  the  Sakharov  prize  to 
people who fight for freedom of thought.

Parliament ensures that human rights issues are at the top of 
the European agenda. It takes specific initiatives in a range of 
areas, such as preventing torture, the protection of minorities, 
conflict prevention, promoting women’s and children’s rights, 
the protection of human rights activists and the rights of in-
digenous peoples. Parliament actively supports the establish-
ment and work of international tribunals, such as the Interna-
tional Criminal Court or the tribunals specially set up to judge 
the  perpetrators  of  war  crimes  in  the  former Yugoslavia  and 
Rwanda.

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condemning violations of human rights

At each plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs review the human 
rights situation in various parts of  the world.  Parliament regu-
larly adopts resolutions calling on the EU institutions or govern-
ments to take immediate action to put an end to violations of 
fundamental rights.

Parliament publishes an annual report on the human rights situ-
ation around the world. In these reports it has condemned, for 
example, the genocide in Darfur, violations of freedoms in China 
and the crimes committed in Chechnya.

■	

parliament strongly opposed to the death 
penalty

The European Parliament strongly condemns the use of the 
death  penalty  in  all  cases  and  under  all  circumstances.  Its 
members  have  repeatedly  called  for  a  worldwide,  uncondi-
tional moratorium on executions, to be established through 
a  UN  resolution.  They  believe  this  would  contribute  to  the 
enhancement  of  human  dignity  and  to  the  progressive  de-
velopment  of  human  rights.  Parliament  condemned,  for  in-
stance,  the  verdict  of  the  Libyan  court  sentencing  to  death 
five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor.

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guaranteeing democratic elections

Groups of MEPs are often sent on election observation missions 
to non-EU countries. They monitor the entire election process 
and draw any breaches of citizens’ rights to the attention of the 
relevant  authorities  and  the  international  community.  MEPs 
have, for example, participated in election observation missions 
to Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and the 
Palestinian Territories.

ensuring that international agreements take 
account of human rights

Parliament  has  the  power  to  withhold  its  assent,  which  is  re-
quired  for  the  conclusion  of  important  agreements  with  non-
member  countries,  if  it  finds  evidence  of  breaches  of  human 
rights  and  democratic  principles.  By  the  same  token,  it  insists 
on strict compliance with the human rights clauses that are sys-
tematically included in such agreements and which provide for 
an agreement to be terminated in extreme cases.

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parliament’s Sakharov prize 
for freedom of thought

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Rus-
sian scientist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, is intended 
to honour exceptional individuals or organisations who defend 
human rights, democracy and freedom of expression and com-
bat intolerance and oppression anywhere in the world.

Established in 1988, the Prize is awarded each year by the Euro-
pean  Parliament  at  a  solemn  sitting  in  Strasbourg. The  parlia-
mentary calendar permitting, it is awarded as close as possible 
to  10  December,  the  anniversary  of  the  signing  of  the  United 
Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Previous winners include Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Alex-
ander Dubček (Czechoslovakia), Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo 
(Argentina),  Aung  San  Suu  Kyi  (Myanmar),  Ibrahim  Rugova 
(Kosovo),  and  the  United  Nations  Organisation  and  its  former 
Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

SAK08_poster_EN_v0.2.indd   1

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■	 How the European 
Parliament works

life  and  work  in  the  european  parliament  are  reflected 
in  a  calendar  divided  up  into  different  coloured  weeks: 
pink,  red,  blue  and  turquoise,  each  corresponding  to  a 
different type of parliamentary activity. for the work to 
proceed  smoothly  there  needs  to  be  good  organisation 
and  administrative  support.  the  machinery  runs  well, 
everyone knows their role and nothing is left to chance.

pink weeks for the parliamentary committees

The  European  Parliament  has  20  standing  committees,  each 
specialising in a particular field, such as the environment, trans-
port, industry or the budget. The make-up of these committees 
reflects  the  political  trends  in  Parliament  as  a  whole  and  the 
number of MEPs they contain varies from committee to com-
mittee. They are responsible for preparing the work for plenary 
sessions.

In committee meetings MEPs hold a series of debates and votes 
on reports, thereby expressing their opinion on proposed laws 
or on the draft EU budget for the following year. They draw up 
‘own-initiative reports’ in which they recommend action to be 
taken  in  a  particular  area  by  the  Commission  or  the  Member 
State governments.

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■	

Special committees and committees of inquiry

If  necessary,  Parliament  can  set  up  special  committees  and 
committees of inquiry. For example, following the sinking of 
the oil tanker Prestige, MEPs set up a committee in 2003 to 
look into ways of improving maritime safety. In 2006 a com-
mittee  investigated  the  CIA’s  activities  in  Europe  following 
press revelations about the extraordinary rendition and ille-
gal detention of suspected terrorists in a number of European 
countries by the US secret services. Ten years earlier a com-
mittee of inquiry had been asked to check whether the Com-
mission and the governments had properly handled the ‘mad 
cow disease’ epidemic. In 2007 a temporary committee was 
set up to examine possible responses to climate change.

red weeks for plenary sessions

The plenary session is the highlight of the parliamentary month. 
This is when all the MEPs assemble in the chamber in Strasbourg 
or, for additional, shorter sessions, in Brussels. The reports adopt-
ed in committee are once again debated, amended and put to 
the vote to set out Parliament’s official position.

Other than reports, MEPs adopt resolutions and directly ques-
tion  Commission  or  Council  representatives  on  topical  issues. 
Plenary sessions may be attended by heads of state and emi-
nent persons from all over the world.

blue weeks for the political groups

MEPs form groups on the basis of political affiliation rather than 
nationality. A minimum number of MEPs from at least one fifth 
of the Member States is required to form a political group, a re-
quirement which does not prevent all political tendencies from 
being represented, from the most fervent advocates of European 

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integration  to  the  most  
Eurosceptical. MEPs who do 
not belong to any group are 
known as ‘non-attached’.

During ‘group weeks’, which 
generally  come  the  week 
before  plenary 
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positions  it  will  take  in  the 
assembly  on  each  of  the 
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turquoise weeks: meps in their constituencies or 
on mission

A  number  of  weeks  a  year  are  set  aside  for  MEPs  to  return  to 
their  constituencies  to  deal  with  local  matters  and  meet  their 
electorate  or  to  travel  on  mission  to  other  parts  of  the  world. 
During  these  weeks  no  meetings  are  planned  in  Brussels  or 
Strasbourg.

■	

What language do you speak?

All Parliament’s plenary sittings and meetings are fully multi-
ingual:  members  can  speak  in  any  official  language  of  the 
EU,  and  everything  they  say  is  simultaneously  interpreted. 
Thanks to the translation service, Parliament’s working docu-
ments are available in all official languages of the European 
Union,  reflecting  and  promoting  its  cultural  diversity  and 
making MEPs’ work accessible to everyone.

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Who does what in the european parliament?

Elected  by  the  MEPs  to  serve  a  two-and-a-half-year  term,  the 
President of the European Parliament plays a key role: he or she 
directs  Parliament’s  activities,  chairs  plenary  sittings  and  signs 
the  budget  and  laws  adopted  together  with  the  Council. The 
President represents Parliament in the outside world and in its 
relations  with  the  other  EU  institutions.  Parliament  elects  14 
Vice-Presidents, each with a specific area of responsibility.

The Conference of Presidents is made up of the chairmen of the 
political groups and the President of the European Parliament. It 
organises and schedules the work of Parliament, including the 
calendar of and agendas for plenary sessions and the compo-
sition of committees and delegations.

The Bureau is the body responsible for dealing with Parliament’s 
administrative, staffing and organisational matters. It comprises 
the President of Parliament, the Vice-Presidents and the Quaes-
tors who are elected by Parliament. The Bureau is responsible for 
Parliament’s budget.

MEPs and Parliament are assisted by a large administration. The 
Secretariat has the task of coordinating the legislative work and 
organising  plenary  sittings  and  other  meetings.  It  consists  of 
almost 5 000 people — a third of whom are translators and in-
terpreters — who work in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg 
and in the information offices. Adding the staff of the political 
groups, about 6 000 people altogether keep Parliament’s wheels 
turning.

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■	 An office near you

brussels,  luxembourg  and  Strasbourg  are  the  european 
parliament’s ‘places of work’, but you can keep an eye on its 
activities wherever you are. from your computer you can 
follow a plenary sitting, consult documents and press re-
leases and ask europe-related questions on line. not only 
that, but there are information offices at your service in all 
the eu’s capital cities. 

the website: a window on the european parliament

Parliament’s  website  —  the  address  is  easy  to  remember:  
www.europarl.europa.eu  —  contains  a  mine  of  interesting 
information in all the official languages. Whether you want to 
know about Parliament’s most recent work, follow plenary de-
bates and votes as they happen, get to know who MEPs are and 
find out what they do, submit a petition, or simply discover how 
an institution representing close to 500 million people works — 
it’s all on the website.

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To ensure that its work is known and understood by the public, 
Parliament provides access to its documents via an online regis-
ter. Historical archives are also available.

europarl tV: the european parliament’s tV package

Since September 2008 anyone with access  to  the Internet  can 
watch a variety of programmes about life in the European Parlia-
ment. Europarltv offers a package of four channels each aimed 
at a different audience, from schoolchildren to the most expe-
rienced lobbyists, as well as anyone interested in European poli-
tics. It is also possible to post content and follow events in Parlia-
ment as they happen. 

Any questions? 
Drop a line to parliament’s mailbox

Parliament’s website is certainly comprehensive, but it is some-
times difficult to find your way through the EU labyrinth. So the 
European  Parliament  provides  a  mailbox  to  which  anyone  can 
send questions, requests for information or suggestions concern-
ing areas of EU activity. Each year Parliament replies to around  
27 500 messages from the public.

As well informed as the journalists

The media offers important tools for bringing citizens closer to 
the institutions representing them. Parliament has a Press Service 
which informs journalists about the day’s parliamentary debates 
and  the  outcome  of  votes. This  information  is  available  to  the 
public in real time on Parliament’s multilingual website. Journal-
ists can make use of logistical and technical support and audio-
visual material (photos, videos, audio archives, etc.). In addition, 
the Press Service organises press conferences and seminars on 
topical European issues.

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Visiting parliament

Perhaps you have found a lot of information on the Internet and 
now you’d like to see in practice how the European Parliament 
works and what it does for you. Nearly 275 000 people visit Par-
liament’s places of work in Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg 
each year, either individually or in groups, to attend plenary sit-
tings and meet their MEPs. If you would like to gain a deeper 
insight into the workings and role of the European Parliament 
and have your questions answered, all you have to do is contact 
the Visits and Seminars Unit, which organises year-round visits in 
all the EU’s official languages.

information offices providing 
a service to european citizens

The European Parliament has an information office in all EU cap-
itals and in a number of other big cities. They serve as a point of 
contact  between  European  citizens  and  the  institution  which 
represents them.

The information offices distribute publications and other mate-
rial  (DVDs,  CD-ROMs,  etc.)  and  run  information  campaigns  on 
various  European  issues.  They  organise  visits  to  Parliament’s 
places  of  work,  particularly  for  schoolchildren,  university  stu-
dents and other visitor groups.

The information offices are behind a series of forums at which 
MEPs,  local  authorities,  individual  citizens  and  representatives 
of various occupations debate the major issues concerning the 
future  of  Europe. They  organise  meetings  between  MEPs  and 
national authorities, the press and the public.

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■	

Debates intended to bring citizens closer to the 
european union

In  the  context  of  the  ‘period  of  reflection’  following  the 
French and Dutch rejections of the draft European Constitu-
tion, the European Parliament recommended a series of ini-
tiatives to help bridge the gap between the EU institutions 
and  the  public.  As  part  of  that  process,  MEPs  called  for  a 
number of conferences and meetings to be held at local and 
national levels — called citizens’ forums and parliamentary 
forums — as a way of moving discussion on the future of the 
EU forward by focusing on subjects of common interest.

contacting your mep

Parliament, above all else, is the MEPs. Backed by the mandate 
given to them in European elections, it is MEPs who pass laws 
and take political initiatives which have an impact on our daily 
lives and provide the inspiration for a European approach to the 
major international issues.

The names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses 
of every MEP can be found under their MEP profile in the ‘Your 
MEPs’  menu  on  Parliament’s  website. There  are  also  details  of 
their curriculum vitae, constituency and political group, as well 
as the positions they hold and the work they have performed 
in Parliament.

Addresses  of  the  Service  for  Citizens’  Correspondence,  of  the  Visits 
and Seminars Unit and of the Information Offices can be found on 
pages 48–51.

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■	 Co-decision: how it works

Co-decision currently applies to some two thirds of all EU laws, primarily in such areas as the  
environment, transport, consumer protection, the internal market, free movement of workers 
and cultural, educational and health programmes. The forthcoming institutional reform will ex-
tend it to other areas.

The co-decision procedure is divided into three stages. The general outline of this procedure is 
as follows:

The Commission submits a legislative proposal to Parliament and the Council.

At first reading (the first stage of deliberation on the text by MEPs) Parliament adopts or does 
not adopt amendments (changes) to the Commission proposal. If Parliament does not adopt 
amendments and if the Council accepts the Commission proposal, the legislative proposal is 
adopted. It is also adopted if the Council accepts Parliament’s amendments. The new law can 
then enter into force.

If the Council does not approve all the MEPs’ amendments, it proposes an alternative text, which 
is known as the common position of the Member States. The proposal is then returned to Parlia-
ment for a second reading. The legislative process is completed if the MEPs approve or reject the 
Council’s common position.

If, on the other hand, MEPs propose amendments to the Common Position, consensus must 
be reached in a third reading. This task is given to a special committee, known as a Conciliation 
Committee, composed of representatives of the two institutions. The Commission is involved 
throughout the procedure. If agreement is reached the draft can become law, if not then the 
proposal falls.

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a

a

Lex

a

a

Lex

ab

Lex

first reading

The  Commission  ➊  presents  a  legislative  proposal  to  Parlia-
ment ➋ and the Council ➌ simultaneously. Parliament adopts 
amendments ➍ and submits them to the Council. If the Coun-
cil agrees with the outcome of Parliament’s first reading the leg-
islative text is adopted ➎.

Second reading

If the Council ➊ does not accept Parliament’s first reading vote, 
it draws up a common position ➋. Parliament ➌ may approve 
the  common  position  or  take  no  decision  and  the  legislative 
text ➍ is adopted in the form of the common position. Or Par-
liament may table amendments to the common position (sub-
ject  to  certain  restrictions).  In  this  case:  either  the  Council ➎ 
approves Parliament’s amendments and the legislative text ➏ 
is adopted, or the Council rejects them and a Conciliation Com-
mittee (27 MEPs and 27 Council members) is convened to seek 
to reconcile the positions. Parliament may reject the common 
position by an absolute majority of its members, in which case 
the legislative text is rejected.

ab

third reading

abc

Lex

Lex

  adopts  a  joint  text  ➋  based 
The  Conciliation  Committee 
on the common position and the EP’s second reading amend-
ments. If the Council and Parliament ➌ approve the joint text 
in its entirety, the act ➍ is adopted. If the Conciliation Commit-
tee cannot agree on a joint text, or if Parliament or the Council 
does  not  approve  it,  the  act ➎  is  deemed  not  to  have  been 
adopted.

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the other legislative procedures

In the consultation procedure Parliament is simply asked for its opinion on proposed legislation 
before it is adopted by the Council. This is the procedure applied in areas such as competition, 
and taxation and for revision of the treaties.

In certain areas of legislation the European Parliament can be asked to give its assent. This pro-
cedure, applied in areas including the ratification of certain agreements negotiated by the EU, 
such as enlargements, gives the European Parliament a right of veto.

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■	 How the EU budget  
is adopted

Each spring the Commission submits a preliminary draft budget for the following year. An initial 
vote is taken by the Council, representing the Member States, on this preliminary draft in the sum-
mer, and Parliament has its first reading in early autumn.

Thereafter a second reading is held in the Council and then in Parliament to arrive at an agreement 
between the representatives of the governments and the citizens. At present the budget distin-
guishes between ‘compulsory expenditure’, which is directly based on the treaties and Community 
laws and mainly relates to agricultural spending, and ‘non-compulsory expenditure’, which covers 
all  other  spending  (regional  development,  social  policy,  research,  culture,  training,  the  environ-
ment, external action, etc.).

MEPs have the final say on all non-compulsory expenditure, and the Council on all compulsory 
expenditure. Parliament has the power to reject the budget if it believes that it does not meet the 
needs of the Union. In that case the entire budget procedure has to start again.

COMMISSION ■ Preliminary draft budget in April/May (PDB)
COUNCIL ■	Draft budget in July (qualified majority)
PARLIAMENT ■	1st reading of draft budget in October

Amendments concerning non-compulsory expenditure

Proposed modifications concerning compulsory expenditure

COUNCIL 

2nd reading of the amendments/modifications

YES                   NO
Qualified majority

YES                    NO
Qualified majority

The Council takes a decision

PARLIAMENT

2nd reading of non-compulsory expenditure in December

YES                    NO

Amount and  
remarks adopted

1st reading/new amount  
(Majority of Members + 3/5 of votes cast)
Majority of Members and 2/3 majority of votes cast: can reject the budget

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■	 EU keywords

Acquis communautaire

This is a French term covering, essentially, the rights and obligations that all EU countries share. 
The ‘acquis’  includes  all  the  EU’s  treaties  and  laws,  declarations  and  resolutions,  international 
agreements on matters for which the EU is competent and the judgments given by the Court 
of Justice. It includes action that EU governments take together in the area of justice and home 
affairs and on the common foreign and security policy. Applicant countries have to accept the 
‘acquis’ before they can join the EU, and make EU law part of their own national legislation.

committee of the regions (cor)

Established in 1994, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) is a political assembly providing local 
and regional bodies with a voice in the European Union. The treaties require the Commission 
and the Council to consult the Committee of the Regions whenever new proposals are made in 
areas that have repercussions at regional or local level. These areas include economic and social 
cohesion, trans-European infrastructure networks, health, education and culture, employment 
policy, the environment and transport. The Committee has 344 members, who are often region-
ally elected officials or mayors, appointed by the Council for four years, having been nominated 
by the Member States.

common market and single market

The European Union is a large area where, in principle, people, goods, services and capital can 
move around freely between the Member States as if they were all one country, with no checks 
carried out at the borders and no customs duties paid. However, this took a while to achieve: 
customs duties between EEC countries were not completely abolished until 1 July 1968. Other 
barriers to trade took a long while to remove, and it was not until the end of 1992 that the ‘single 
market’ (as it became known) was in place.

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council of the european union

The Council of the European Union (‘Council of Ministers’ or simply ‘Council’) acts in a legislative 
and  budgetary  capacity,  together  with  the  European  Parliament.  It  is  the  lead  institution  for 
decision-making on the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and on the coordination of 
economic policies.

Its meetings are attended by Member State ministers and it is thus the institution which repre-
sents the Member States.

The Council meets in nine different configurations bringing together the relevant Member State 
ministers: General Affairs and External Relations; Economic and Financial Affairs; Employment, 
Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs; Competitiveness; Cooperation in the fields of Justice 
and Home Affairs (JHA); Transport, Telecommunications and Energy; Agriculture and Fisheries; 
Environment; Education, Youth and Culture.

The Council’s headquarters are in Brussels, but it also meets in Luxembourg.

court of Justice of the european communities (cJec)

The Court of Justice, based in Luxembourg, ensures compliance with the law in the interpreta-
tion and application of the founding treaties. It is composed of the same number of judges as 
there are Member States. The judges are assisted by eight advocates-general who are appointed 
for six years by agreement among the Member States. It has two principal functions: to check 
whether instruments of the European institutions and of governments are compatible with the 
treaties; and to give rulings, at the request of a national court, on the interpretation or the validity 
of provisions contained in Community law.

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Division of competences

The division of competences between the European Union and its Member States makes a dis-
tinction between three different types of competence:

—  concurrent or shared competences (the most common case);
—  exclusive  Community  competences  (the  Member  States  have  irrevocably  relinquished  all 

possibility of taking action);

—  supporting competences or areas of supporting action (the Community’s sole task is to co-

ordinate and encourage action by the Member States).

The principles of subsidiarity and proportionality act as regulators to ensure compliance with 
this division.

economic and monetary union (emu)

Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is the process of harmonising the economic and mon-
etary policies of the Member States of the Union, notably with the introduction of a single cur-
rency, the euro. On 1 January 1999 the exchange rates were fixed and the single currency was  
introduced in the EMU countries. On 1 January 2002 euro notes and coins replaced their na-
tional currencies. Not all Member States have adopted the single currency.

The 12 Member States which joined the EU on or after 1 May 2004 are required to adopt the euro 
once they meet all the convergence criteria, which aim to ensure that economic development 
within EMU is balanced and does not give rise to any tensions between the Member States.

european Anti-fraud office (olAf)

The European Anti-Fraud Office has been responsible since 1 June 1999 for combating fraud 
against the European Union budget. The Office investigates the management and financing of 
all the Union’s institutions and bodies with absolute operational independence.

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european central bank (ecb)

Founded on 30 June 1998 in Frankfurt, the European Central Bank (ECB) is responsible for mon-
etary policy in the member countries of the eurozone. Since 1 January 1999 its main tasks have 
been to maintain price stability in the eurozone and to implement the European monetary pol-
icy  defined  by  the  European  System  of  Central  Banks  (ESCB). The  ECB  acts  totally  independ-
ently.

european commission

The European Commission embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union. It has the 
virtually exclusive right to initiate legislation. It prepares and then implements the legislative in-
struments adopted by the Council and the European Parliament in connection with Community 
policies. The Commission has powers of implementation, management and control. It is respon-
sible for planning and implementing common policies, executing the budget and managing 
Community programmes. As ‘Guardian of the treaties’, it ensures that European law is applied.

The Commission is appointed for a five-year term by the Council acting by qualified majority 
in agreement with the Member States. It is subject to an approval vote by the European Parlia-
ment, to which it is answerable, before it can be sworn in.

european council

The European Council is the term currently used to describe the regular meetings of the Heads 
of State or Government of the European Union Member States. Its role is to provide the Euro-
pean Union with the necessary impetus for its development and to lay down general political 
guidelines. It does not enact legislation, and its decisions are taken by consensus. It meets at 
least twice a year. Meetings of the European Council are normally held in Brussels.

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european court of Auditors (ecA)

The European Court of Auditors, based in Luxembourg, is composed of one national from each 
Member State. The Court checks the revenue and expenditure of the European Union (and any 
body created by the Community) for legality and regularity and ensures that its financial man-
agement  is  sound.  It  supplies  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  with  a  statement  of 
assurance as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying 
transactions. The Court of Auditors has the power to report any irregularities to the European 
Parliament and the Council.

european economic and Social committee (eeSc

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), established by the Treaty of Rome (1957), 
is a consultative assembly representing the various economic and social interest groups. In cer-
tain areas, including employment policy, social policy, education, health policy, consumer pro-
tection and economic and social cohesion, the treaty stipulates that a decision may be taken 
only  after  the  Council  or  Commission  has  consulted  the  EESC.  It  has  344  members  who  are 
nominated by national governments and appointed by the Council of the European Union for a 
renewable four-year term of office.

european investment bank (eib)

The task of the European Investment Bank, which is based in Luxembourg, is to contribute to 
economic, social and territorial cohesion through the balanced development of the EU territory. 
It provides long-term financing for practical projects whose economic, technical, environmental 
and financial viability is guaranteed. 

Outside  the  European  Union  the  EIB  supports  the  pre-accession  strategies  of  the  applicant 
countries and the countries of the Western Balkans. It manages the financial dimension of the 
agreements concluded under European development aid and cooperation policies.

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ombudsman

The Ombudsman is empowered to receive complaints concerning maladministration by Com-
munity institutions or bodies (with the exception of the Court of Justice and the Court of First 
Instance) from any EU citizen or any individual residing in a Member State or from businesses, 
associations or other bodies with a registered office in the EU. For example, complaints may be 
based on lack or denial of access to information, unjustified administrative delays, unfairness or 
discrimination or lack of transparency.

Subsidiarity and proportionality

The subsidiarity principle is intended to ensure that decisions are taken as closely as possible 
to the citizen and that constant checks are made as to whether action at Community level is 
justified in the light of the possibilities available at national, regional or local level. Specifically, it 
is the principle whereby the Union does not take action (except in the areas which fall within its 
exclusive competence) unless it is more effective than action taken at national, regional or local 
level. It is closely bound up with the principle of proportionality, which requires that any action 
by the Union should not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the treaty.

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■	 Milestones in  
European integration

9  May  1950  —  Robert  Schuman,  French  Foreign  Minister,  proposes  a  coal  and  steel  union 
between  France  and West  Germany,  a  plan  based  on  the  ideas  of  Jean  Monnet. The  date  of  
Schuman’s speech has since then been celebrated annually as ‘Europe Day’.

April 1951 — Based on the Schuman Plan, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and 
Luxembourg establish the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in the Treaty of Paris.

March 1957 — The six founding members sign the Treaties of Rome, creating the European 
Economic Community (EEC), or  ‘common market’, and the European Atomic Energy Commu-
nity (Euratom). The treaties enter into force on 1 January 1958.

March 1958 — Constituent session of the European Parliamentary Assembly.

March 1962 — The European Parliamentary Assembly is renamed the European Parliament.

July 1968 — Customs duties on industrial goods are completely abolished 18 months ahead of 
schedule, and a common external tariff is introduced.

January 1973 — The first enlargement of the Community: Denmark, Ireland and the United 
Kingdom join the EEC.

June  1979  —  The  first  direct  elections  to  the  European  Parliament  are  held.  Members  were 
previously delegated by national parliaments. Nine countries elect 410 MEPs.

January 1981 — Greece joins the EEC.

June 1984 — European Parliament elections: 10 countries elect 434 MEPs.

January 1986 — Spain and Portugal join the EEC.

July  1987  —  The  Single  European  Act  enters  into  force,  enhancing  Parliament’s  legislative  
powers.

June 1989 — European Parliament elections: 12 countries elect 518 MEPs.

November 1989 — Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Cold War ends and Europe’s divisions can begin 
to be healed. Germany is soon reunited.

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January 1993 — The single market and its four freedoms are established: free movement of 
goods, services, people and capital is now a reality.

November 1993 — The Treaty on European Union signed at Maastricht comes into force. It 
sets out plans for a future single currency as well as for foreign and security policy and closer 
cooperation in justice and home affairs. The name ‘European Union’ officially replaces that of 
‘European Community’. The ‘co-decision’ procedure is introduced, giving real legislative power 
to the European Parliament.

June 1994 — European Parliament elections: 12 countries elect 567 MEPs.

January 1995 — Austria, Finland and Sweden join the EU.

May 1999 — The Treaty of Amsterdam enters into force. It lays down plans to reform EU institu-
tions, give Europe a stronger voice in the world and concentrate more resources on employ-
ment and the rights of citizens.

June 1999 — European Parliament elections: 15 countries elect 626 MEPs.

December 2001 — The Laeken European Council adopts a declaration on the future of the 
Union. This opens the way for a major reform of the EU and the establishment of a convention 
to draft a European Constitution.

January 2002 — Euro notes and coins enter circulation in 12 countries, replacing the previous 
national currencies.

February 2003 — The Treaty of Nice enters into force, preparing the EU for the entry of 10 new 
members the following year. The Charter of Fundamental Rights is adopted.

July 2003 — The Convention on the Future of Europe completes its work on the draft European 
Constitution.

May  2004  — The  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Cyprus,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Hungary,  Malta,  Poland, 
Slovenia and Slovakia join the EU.

June 2004 — European Parliament elections: 25 countries elect 732 MEPs.

October 2004 — EU Heads of State or Government sign the Treaty establishing a Constitution 
for Europe.

June 2005 — Start of a period of reflection following the rejection of the Treaty establishing a 
Constitution for Europe in referendums held in France and the Netherlands.

January 2007 — Bulgaria and Romania join the EU. The number of MEPs rises to 785. Slovenia 
introduces the euro and becomes the thirteenth Member State to join the euro zone.

March 2007 — To mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, Parliament signs, with the 
Council and Commission, the Berlin Declaration.

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December 2007 —  The Presidents of the Parliament, the Commission and the Council of the 
European Union sign and solemnly proclaim the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Heads 
of State or Government sign the Lisbon Treaty. 

January 2008 — Cyprus and Malta join the euro zone.

March 2008 — 50th anniversary of the establishment of the European Parliament.

January 2009 — 10th anniversary of the euro. Slovakia joins the euro zone.

June 2009 — European Parliament elections. 736 MEPs elected in 27 countries.

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■	 European Parliament  
addresses

European Parliament
Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047 Bruxelles

 (32-2) 284 21 11
 (32-2) 230 69 33

European Parliament
Plateau du Kirchberg
BP 1601
L-2929 Luxembourg
 (352) 43 00-1
 (352) 43 00-24842

European Parliament
Allée du Printemps
BP 1024/F
F-67070 Strasbourg Cedex
 (33) 388 17 40 01
 (33) 388 17 48 60

petitions

citizens’ correspondence

European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament
Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047 Bruxelles

European Parliament
Citizens’ Correspondence
GOL03A012
L-2929 Luxembourg

 (352) 43 00-27072

European Parliament
Visits and Seminars
Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047 Brussels

 (32-2) 284 21 11
 (32-2) 284 35 30

Visits and Seminars

European Parliament
Visits and Seminars
Bureau de Strasbourg
BP 1024 F
F-67070 Strasbourg Cedex
 (33) 388 17 51 84

European Parliament
Visits and Seminars
L-2929 Luxembourg

 (352) 43 00-27072

You can fill in a form electronically via Parliament’s website: www.europarl.europa.eu

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information offices

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

DANMARK

BRUXELLES
Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047 BRuxelles

 (32-2) 284 20 05
 (32-2) 230 75 55

KØBENHAVN
Gothersgade 115
DK-1123 KØBeNHAVN K
 (45-3) 314 33 77
 (45-3) 315 08 05

ÉIRE/IRELAND

DUBLIN
Molesworth street 43
DuBlIN 2

 (353-1) 605 79 00
 (353-1) 605 79 99

 epbrussels@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.be

 epkobenhavn@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.dk

 epdublin@europarl.europa.eu 
 www.europarl.ie

БЪЛГАРИЯ

SOFIA 
Moskovska str. 9
BG-1000 sOFIA 

 (359-2) 985 35 45
 (359-2) 981 99 44

 epsofia@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.europa.eu/sofia

ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA

PRAHA
Jungmannova ul. 24
CZ-110 00 PRAHA 1

 (420) 255 708 208
 (420) 255 708 200

 eppraha@europarl.europa.eu
 www.evropsky-parlament.cz

DEUTSCHLAND

ΕΛΛΑΔΑ/GREECE

BERLIN
unter den linden 78
D-10117 BeRlIN

 (49-30) 22 80 10 00
 (49-30) 22 80 11 11
 epberlin@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.de

MÜNCHEN
erhardtsrasse 27
D-80469 MÜNCHeN

 (49-89) 20 20 87 90
 (49-89) 202 08 79 73

 epmuenchen@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.de

EESTI

TALLINN
Rävala 4
ee-10143 TAllINN 

 (372-6) 30 69 69
(372-6) 30 69 68

AΘΗΝΑ
leof. Amalias 8
GR-10557 ATHINA

 (30-210) 327 89 00
 (30-210) 331 15 40

 epathinai@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.gr

ESPAÑA

MADRID
Paseo de la Castellana 46
e-28046 MADRID

 (34-91) 436 47 47
 (34-91) 578 31 71

 epmadrid@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.es

BARCELONA
Passeig de Gràcia 90 1°
e-08008 BARCelONA

 (34-93) 272 20 44
 (34-93) 272 20 45

 eptallinn@europarl.europa.eu 
 www.europarl.ee

 epbarcelona@europarl.europa.eu 
 www.europarl.es

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FRANCE

PARIS
288, bd saint Germain
F-75341 PARIs CeDex 07
 (33) 140 63 40 00
 (33) 145 51 52 53

KYPROS

NICOSIA
Vyronos Avenue 30
CY-1096 NICOsIA

 (357-22) 87 05 00
 (357-22) 76 77 33

MAGYARORSZÁG

BUDAPEST
DeÁK PAlOTA, Deák Ferenc u. 15
H-1052 BuDAPesT 

 (36-1) 411 35 40 
 (36-1) 411 35 60

 epparis@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.fr

 epnicosia@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.europa.eu/nicosia

 epbudapest@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.hu

STRASBOURG
Centre de Presse - BP 1024
F-67070 sTRAsBOuRG CeDex
 (33-(0)3) 88 17 40 01
 (33-(0)3) 88 17 51 84

 epstrasbourg@europarl.europa.eu

MARSEILLE
2, rue Henri Barbusse
BP 22164
F-13205 Marseille Cedex 01
 (33) 496 11 52 90
(33) 491 90 95 03

 epmarseille@europarl.europa.eu
 http://sudest.europarl.fr

ITALIA

ROMA
Via IV Novembre, 149
I-00187 ROMA

 (39-06) 69 95 01
(39-06) 69 95 02 00

 eproma@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.it

MILANO
Corso Magenta 59
I-20123 MIlANO

LATVIJA
RIGA
Aspāzijas bulvāris 28 
lV-1050 RĪGA

 (371) 708 54 60
 (371) 708 54 70

 epriga@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.lv

LIETUVA

VILNIUS 
Naugarduko st. 10
lT-01141 VIlNIus

 (370-5) 212 07 66
 (370-5) 261 98 28 

 epvilnius@europarl.europa.eu 
 www.europarl.lt

LUXEMBOURG

LUXEMBOURG
7, rue du Marché-aux-Herbes 
l-1728 luxeMBOuRG

 (352) 430 02 25 97
 (352) 430 02 24 57

 epluxembourg@europarl.europa.eu

MALTA

VALLETTA
254 europe House
st Paul’s street
VlT-1215 VAlleTTA
MAlTA

 (356-21) 23 50 75
 (356-21) 23 06 61

 epvalletta@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarlmt.eu

NEDERLAND

DEN HAAG
Mauritskade 35 
Nl-2514 HD DeN HAAG
 (31-70) 313 54 00
 (31-70) 364 70 01

 epdenhaag@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europeesparlement.nl

ÖSTERREICH

WIEN
Wipplingerstraße 35A
A-1010 WIeN

 (43-1) 516 17-0
 (43-1) 513 25 15 

 epwien@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.at

 (39-02) 434 41 71
 (39-02) 434 41 75 00
 epmilano@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.it

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POLSKA

WARSZAWA
ul. Jasna 14/16a 
Pl-00-041 WARsZAWA 
 (48-22) 595 24 70 
 (48-22) 595 24 80

SLOVENSKO

BRATISLAVA
Palisády 29
sK-81106 BRATIslAVA

 (421-2) 59 20 32 97
 (421-2) 54 64 80 13

UNITED KINGDOM

LONDON
2 Queen Anne’s Gate
lONDON sW1H 9AA

 (44-207) 227 43 00
 (44-207) 227 43 02

 epwarszawa@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.pl

 epbratislava@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europskyparlament.sk

 eplondon@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.org.uk

EDINBURGH
The Tun
4 Jackson’s entry,  
Holyrood Road
eDINBuRGH eH8 8PJ

 (44-131) 557 78 66
 (44-131) 557 49 77

 epedinburgh@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.org.uk

PORTUGAL

LISBOA
largo Jean Monnet, 1-6
P-1269-070 lIsBOA

 (351-21) 350 49 00
 (351-21) 354 00 04 
 eplisboa@europarl.europa.eu
 www.parleurop.pt

SUOMI/FINLAND

HELSINKI/HELSINGFORS
Pohjoisesplanadi 31 /
Norra esplanaden 31
FIN-00100 HelsINKI/HelsINGFORs

 (358-9) 622 04 50
 (358-9) 622 26 10

 ephelsinki@europarl.europa.eu 
 www.europarl.fi

ROMÂNIA 

BUCUREŞTI 
31 Vasile lascar street, floor 1 - sector 2
RO-020492 BuCuReŞTI 
 (40-21) 405 0880
 (40-21) 405 0886

 epbucarest@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.ro

SVERIGE

STOCKHOLM
Regeringsgatan 65, 6 tr.
s-11156 sTOCKHOlM

 (46-8) 56 24 44 55
 (46-8) 56 24 44 99

 epstockholm@europarl.europa.eu
 www.europarl.se

SLOVENIJA

LJUBLJANA
Breg 14 
sI-1000 lJuBlJANA 

 (386-1) 252 88 30 
 (386-1) 252 88 40 

 epljubljana@europarl.europa.eu 
 www.europarl.si

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For more information visit:
www.europarl.europa.eu

This publication was produced by 
the European Parliament’s 
Directorate-General for Communication.
Manuscript completed in July 2009.

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Photographic credits
European Communities, pages 2, 3, 17, 20, 22, 25, 26;
European Communities/Pietro Naj-Oleari, pages 6, 14
European Communities/Architect: AEL, page 37;
European Communities/Architect: Architecture Studio, cover; 
European Communities/Architect: Architecture Studio page 30
European Communities/Pietro Naj-Oleari/Architect: Architecture Studio, 
pages 24, 32, 47; 
European Communities/Pietro Naj-Oleari/Architect:Architect: Association 
des architectes du CIC: Vanden Bossche sprl, C.R.V. s.a., CDG sprl, 
Studiegroep D. Bontinck, Façade and Hemicycle interior Design-Arch. 
Michel Bouquillon, page 28;
European Communities/ECHO/Susana Perez Diaz, page 21;
Corbis, pages 8, 10, 12, 16, 18; PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou, page 34;
Yves Fonck/Architect: Architecture Studio, page 2

A great deal of additional information on the European Union is 
available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server 
(http://europa.eu).
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European 
Communities, 2009
© European Communities, 2009
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Germany
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