Knowing in order to choose

The European Parliament, which EU citizens will be called to elect between 4 and 7 June on the basis of national ballots, is one of the three most important EU institutions, and the only one chosen by universal suffrage. Elected every five years, it currently comprises 785 MEPs, but their number will be reduced to 736 in the 2009-2014 legislature.[For previous fact files in this series in SIR Europe see nos. 9-11-13-15-17-20-21/2009]Seat, composition, tasks. The main task of the European Parliament (EP) is to adopt EU laws – a responsibility shared with the European Council, on which the member states are represented – on the basis of proposals made by the European Commission. Together with the Council, MEPs also approve the budget of the 27. It is also the EP’s responsibility to exert “political control” on the Commission. The main seat of the EP is at Strasbourg; but the usual chamber in which the EP transacts its business is in Brussels. Its secretariat is based in Luxembourg. During plenary sessions, MEPs are arranged in the chamber according to their division into political groups (People’s Party, Socialists, Liberal Democrats, Europe of Nations, Greens, Unified Left, Independence and Democracy, non-aligned) and not by national groups. The work of MEPs also takes place in the parliamentary committees, in the meetings of the political groups, and in meetings with citizens. The EP works in the 23 official languages of the EU. All its documents are available on the website www.europarl.europa.eu.Co-decision and consultation. To realise the importance of the legislative work of the European Parliament, it is enough to consider that almost 80% of state laws are a national absorption of or adjustment to EU directives. “The European Parliament – explains its legal service – shares with the Council, on a footing of equality, the decision-making power of over two-thirds of EU legislative proposals”: in such sectors as the environment, transport, consumer protection and illegal immigration, the EP has the power to accept, amend or reject draft directives or regulations submitted to it by the Commission (procedure of co-decision). During the legislature that is about to end (2004-2009), “the Parliament rejected two draft directives: one aimed at liberalizing port services and the other relating to patents on computer software”. On some questions, such as fiscal, industrial and agricultural policy, the Parliament can only express an opinion (procedure of consultation). Legislative activity, political interventions. Some agreements within the institutional architecture of the EU require a vote of endorsement by the EP, which, although it has no authority to amend the text of such agreements, does have the power to reject them in their totality. “It’s the procedure of confirmation – explains the press service – that is applied to the membership of new member states and to the conclusion of accords of association with countries not belonging to the Union. In substance any extension of the borders of the EU is only possible with the agreement of the EP in Strasbourg”. Apart from legislative activity, “the Parliament makes its voice heard in European decisions. For example, though it remains the prerogative of member states to take final decisions on foreign policy, security and defence, the Commission and the Council must first inform the Parliament, and MEPs lobby and act by taking part in public debates” which are held in the chamber itself. Moreover, in their reports, recommendations and interrogations addressed to various EU authorities, MEPs exert political influence on Commission and Council. Budget and democratic control. The Parliament, together with the Council, is also responsible for the definition of the budget of the European Union. It has the last word on over half of budgetary items and decides on expenditures in such fields as social and regional funds, energy, research, aid to development, education and culture. In the case of agricultural expenditures, on the other hand, it is the Council that has the last word. The Parliament is responsible for so-called “democratic control”. What does that mean? The legal experts in Brussels explain: “It means that the Assembly plays a key role in the investiture of the Commission. It is up to the EP in fact to approve every five years the nomination of the President” of the Executive, while the other 26 Commissioners designated by member states “must undergo auditions before the Parliament can vote on the Commission as a whole”. Moreover citizens may present petitions to the EP on questions that fall within the remit of the EU. Lastly, it should be pointed out that once the Lisbon Treaty finally comes into force, the European Parliament’s powers will be augmented: the procedure of co-decision will be extended to various other sectors, while its budgetary power will cover all the fields of expenditure of the Union.