European Parliament

The European Parliament (EP) is a central legislative body of the European Union (EU).

It is one of seven institutions that govern the union. The Parliament works alongside the Council of the European Union to pass laws. These laws are known as European legislation. While the Parliament helps make laws, it does not have the right of initiative. This means it cannot formally start the law-making process. That specific power belongs to the European Commission, which acts as the EU's executive branch. However, the Parliament can ask the Commission to propose new laws.

The Parliament is a massive democratic institution. Following the June 2024 elections, it consists of 720 members. These members are called Members of the European Parliament, or MEPs. This body represents an electorate of approximately 375 million eligible voters. This makes it the second-largest democratic electorate on Earth, following the Parliament of India. Since 1979, MEPs have been directly elected every five years through universal suffrage. Voting ages vary by country. Most EU states set the age at 18. However, Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Malta allow voting at 16. Greece sets the age at 17.

The Parliament holds significant power over the EU budget. It shares equal budgetary control with the Council. It also acts as a check on the European Commission. The Parliament must approve the Commission as a whole. It also has the power to approve or reject the nominee for President of the Commission. If the Parliament is deeply dissatisfied, it can pass a motion of censure. This motion can force the entire Commission to resign. This occurred in 1999 when the Parliament refused to approve the budget due to allegations of fraud and mismanagement.

Inside the chamber, MEPs organize into political groups based on ideology. These groups are not divided by nationality. The five largest groups are the European People's Party (EPP) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). Other major groups include Patriots for Europe (PfE), the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), and Renew Europe. The President of the Parliament serves as the speaker. This leader presides over the multi-party chamber during sessions.

The history of the Parliament shows a steady rise in power. It began on September 10, 1952, as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community. At that time, it was a consultative assembly. It had only 78 appointed members from national parliaments. These members had no legislative power and could only offer advice. In 1958, the Treaties of Rome established the European Economic Community. The assembly then became the European Parliamentary Assembly. It began organizing by political ideology rather than by country in 1958.

Direct elections in 1979 marked a major turning point. Simone Veil became the first female president of the elected Parliament. Since then, the institution has gained more authority through various treaty changes. For example, the Parliament gained power over the community budget in 1970. By 1975, this power expanded to the entire budget. The Parliament also gained the right to approve international agreements through the consent procedure. This evolution moved the body from a "talking shop" to a powerful global legislature.

The Parliament operates across three different locations. Its official headquarters are in Strasbourg, France. Its administrative offices are in Luxembourg City. Most daily work and committee meetings happen in Brussels, Belgium.

This split is the result of complex political agreements. In 1992, an agreement was reached during the Edinburgh summit. The Parliament keeps its official seat in Strasbourg for twelve plenary sessions a year. Each session lasts four days. However, the Parliament spends three weeks every month working in Brussels. This arrangement remains a subject of discussion among member states.