View source for European Parliament

{{short description|Directly elected legislature of the European Union}}
{{for-multi|the body of the Council of Europe|Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe|the last elections|2024 European Parliament election}}
{{Update|part=members and elections|date=August 2025|reason=Relevant facts are dated and do not reflect all information currently available}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox legislature
| background_color = #0C4DA2
| name = European Parliament
| native_name = {{Name in official languages
 | bg = Европейски парламент
 | hr = Europski parlament
 | cs = Evropský parlament
 | da = Europa-Parlamentet
 | nl = Europees Parlement
 | en = European Parliament
 | et = Euroopa Parlament
 | fi = Euroopan parlamentti
 | fr = Parlement européen
 | de = Europäisches Parlament
 | el = Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο
 | hu = Európai Parlament
 | ga = Parlaimint na hEorpa
 | it = Parlamento europeo
 | lv = Eiropas Parlaments
 | lt = Europos Parlamentas
 | mt = Parlament Ewropew
 | pl = Parlament Europejski
 | pt = Parlamento Europeu
 | ro = Parlamentul European
 | sk = Európsky parlament
 | sl = Evropski parlament
 | es = Parlamento Europeo
 | sv = Europaparlamentet
}}
| legislature = [[Tenth European Parliament|10th European Parliament]]
| logo_pic = European Parliament logo.svg
| house_type = [[European Union legislative procedure|''De facto'' lower house<br />of bicameral legislature]]
| jurisdiction = <!-- [[European Union]] -->
| term_limits = None
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1952|09|10|df=y}}
| preceded_by = Common Assembly of the {{nobr|[[European Coal and Steel Community]]}}
| leader1_type = [[President of the European Parliament|President]]
| leader1 = [[Roberta Metsola]]
| party1 = [[European People's Party Group|EPP]]
| election1 = 18 January 2022
| leader2_type = [[Vice President of the European Parliament|First Vice-President]]
| party2 = [[European People's Party|EPP]]
| election2 = 16 July 2024
| leader3_type = {{nobr|[[Secretariat of the European Parliament#Secretary-General|Secretary-General]]}}&nbsp;
| leader2 = [[Sabine Verheyen]]
| leader3 = [[Alessandro Chiocchetti]]
| party3 = [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| election3 = 1 January 2023
| members = 720<ref>{{cite web |title=The European Council establishes the composition of the European Parliament |publisher=[[European Council]] |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/09/22/the-european-council-establishes-the-composition-of-the-european-parliament/ |access-date=27 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=European Council Decision (EU) 2023/2061 of 22 September 2023 establishing the composition of the European Parliament |publisher=[[EUR-Lex]] |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023D2061 |access-date=27 July 2024}}</ref>
| structure1 = European Parliament - Strasbourg Chart - July 2024.svg
| structure1_res = 250px
| political_groups1 = :{{Color box|{{party color|European People's Party Group}}|border=silver}} [[European People's Party Group|EPP]] (188){{efn|
*{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|European People's Party}}|border=silver}} [[European People's Party|EPP]] (171)}}
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Christian Political Movement}}|border=silver}} [[European Christian Political Party|ECPP]] (1)
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Free Alliance}}|border=silver}} [[European Free Alliance|EFA]] (1)
*{{Color box|{{party color|None}}|border=silver}} Unaffiliated (15)
}}
:{{Color box|{{party color|Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats}}|border=silver}} [[Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats|S&D]] (136){{efn|
*{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Party of European Socialists}}|border=silver}} [[Party of European Socialists|PES]] (134)}}
*{{Color box|{{party color|None}}|border=silver}} Unaffiliated (2)
}}
:{{Color box|{{party color|Patriots for Europe}}|border=silver}} [[Patriots for Europe|PfE]] (85){{efn|
*{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Patriots.eu}}|border=silver}} [[Patriots.eu]] (84)}}
*{{Color box|{{party color|None}}|border=silver}} Unaffiliated (1)
}}
:{{Color box|{{party color|European Conservatives and Reformists Group}}|border=silver}} [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|ECR]] (79){{efn|
*{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|European Conservatives and Reformists Party}}|border=silver}} [[European Conservatives and Reformists Party|ECR]] (64)}}
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Free Alliance}}|border=silver}} [[European Free Alliance|EFA]] (3)
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Christian Political Movement}}|border=silver}} [[European Christian Political Party|ECPP]] (2)
*{{Color box|{{party color|None}}|border=silver}} Unaffiliated (8)
*{{Color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Ind.]] (2)
}}
:{{Color box|{{party color|Renew Europe}}|border=silver}} [[Renew Europe|Renew]] (75){{efn|
*{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party}}|border=silver}} [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party|ALDE]] (49)}}
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Democratic Party}}|border=silver}} [[European Democratic Party|EDP]] (10)
*{{Color box|{{party color|European People's Party}}|border=silver}} [[European People's Party|EPP]] (1)
*{{Color box|{{party color|None}}|border=silver}} Unaffiliated (13)
*{{Color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Ind.]] (2)
}}
:{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Greens–European Free Alliance}}|border=silver}} [[Greens–European Free Alliance|Greens/EFA]] (53){{efn|
*{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|European Green Party}}|border=silver}} [[European Green Party|EGP]] (43)}}
*{{Color box|{{party color|Volt Europa}}|border=silver}} [[Volt Europa|Volt]] (5)
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Free Alliance}}|border=silver}} [[European Free Alliance|EFA]] (3)
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Pirate Party}}|border=silver}} [[European Pirate Party|PPEU]] (1)
*{{Color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Ind.]] (1)
}}}}
:{{Color box|{{party color|The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL}}|border=silver}} [[The Left in the European Parliament|The Left]] (45){{efn|
*{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|European Left Alliance}}|border=silver}} [[European Left Alliance for the People and the Planet|ELA]] (18)}}
*{{Color box|{{party color|Party of the European Left}}|border=silver}} [[Party of the European Left|PEL]] (7)
*{{Color box|{{party color|Animal Politics EU}}|border=silver}} [[Animal Politics EU|APEU]] (2)
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Free Alliance}}|border=silver}} [[European Free Alliance|EFA]] (1)
*{{Color box|{{party color|None}}|border=silver}} Unaffiliated (15)
*{{Color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Ind.]] (1)
}}
:{{Color box|{{party color|Europe of Sovereign Nations}}|border=silver}} [[Europe of Sovereign Nations Group|ESN]] (27){{efn|
*{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Europe of Sovereign Nations}}|border=silver}} [[Europe of Sovereign Nations (party)|ESN]] (27)}}
}}
:{{Color box|{{party color|Non-attached members}}|border=silver}} [[Non-attached members|NI]] (31){{efn|
*{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|None}}|border=silver}} Unaffiliated (16)}}
*{{Color box|{{party color|Party of European Socialists}}|border=silver}} [[Party of European Socialists|PES]] (6)
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Communist Action}}|border=silver}} [[European Communist Action|ECA]] (2)
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Christian Political Movement}}|border=silver}} [[European Christian Political Party|ECPP]] (1)
*{{Color box|{{party color|European Conservatives and Reformists Party}}|border=silver}} [[European Conservatives and Reformists Party|ECR]] (1)
*{{Color box|{{party color|Party of the European Left}}|border=silver}} [[Party of the European Left|PEL]] (1)
*{{Color box|{{party color|Independent}}|border=silver}} [[Independent politician|Ind.]] (4)
}}
:{{Color box|{{party color|Casual vacancy}}|border=silver}} [[Casual vacancy|Vacant]] ([[Antoni Comín|1]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://elpais.com/espana/2024-07-02/el-parlamento-europeo-toma-nota-de-la-lista-de-la-junta-electoral-y-deja-vacante-el-escano-de-comin.html |title=El Parlamento Europeo deja vacante por ahora el escaño de Toni Comín |date=2 July 2024 |publisher=[[El País]] |access-date=27 July 2024}}</ref>
| committees1 = {{Collapsible list|title = [[Committees of the European Parliament|22]]
  | framestyle = background: transparent; border: 0; padding: 0; text-align: right; font-weight: normal; white-space: nowrap;
  | titlestyle = background: transparent; border: 0; padding: 0; text-align: left; font-weight: normal; white-space: nowrap;
  | bullets = true
  | [[Committee on Budgets|Budgets]]
  | [[Committee on Budgetary Control|Budgetary Control]]
  | [[Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs|Economic & Monetary Affairs]]
  | [[Committee on Employment and Social Affairs|Employment & Social Affairs]]
  | [[European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety|Environment, Public Health & Food Safety]]
  | [[Committee on Industry, Research and Energy|Industry, Research & Energy]]
  | [[Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection|Internal Market & Consumer Protection]]
  | [[Committee on Transport and Tourism|Transport & Tourism]]
  | [[Committee on Regional Development|Regional Development]]
  | [[Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development|Agriculture & Rural Development]]
  | [[Committee on Fisheries|Fisheries]]
  | [[Committee on Culture and Education|Culture & Education]]
  | [[Committee on Legal Affairs|Legal Affairs]]
  | [[Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs|Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs]]
  | [[Committee on Constitutional Affairs|Constitutional Affairs]]
  | [[Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality|Women's Rights & Gender Equality]]
  | [[Committee on Petitions|Petitions]]
  | [[Committee on Foreign Affairs (EU)|Foreign Affairs]] {{Bulleted list
   | framestyle = text-align: left; border: 0; padding: 0; white-space: nowrap;
   | titlestyle = background: transparent; text-align: left; font-weight: normal;
   | bullets = true
   | [[Subcommittee on Human Rights|Human Rights]]
   | [[Subcommittee on Security and Defence|Security & Defence]]
   }}
  | [[Committee on Development|Development]]
  | [[Committee on International Trade|International Trade]]
}}
| joint_committees = 
| term_length = 5 years
| authority = 
| salary = [[Euro|€]]8,932.86 monthly
| seats1_title = 
| seats1 = 
| voting_system1 = Chosen by member state.<br />Systems include:
* [[Party-list proportional representation|Party list PR]]
* [[Single transferable vote|STV]] in Ireland and Malta
* ''de facto'' [[FPTP|FPTP/SMP]]<br />(only in the [[German-speaking electoral college|German-speaking]]<br />[[German-speaking electoral college|electoral college]] in Belgium)
| first_election1 = [[1979 European Parliament election|7–10 June 1979]]
| last_election1 = [[2024 European Parliament election|6–9 June 2024]]
| next_election1 = [[2029 European Parliament election|2029]]
| redistricting = 
| motto = ''[[Motto of the European Union|In varietate concordia]]''<br />(United in diversity)
| session_room = European Parliament hemicycle.jpg
| session_res = 300px
| session_alt = European parliament hemicycle in Strasbourg, France
| meeting_place = [[Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg|Louise Weiss Building]]<br />[[Strasbourg]], France
| session_room2 = Euroopan parliaementin istuntosali (Brysselissä).jpg
| session_res2 = 300px
| session_alt2 = Euroopan parliaementin istuntosali (Brysselissä).jpg
| meeting_place2 = [[Espace Léopold]]<br />[[Brussels]], Belgium
| website = {{URL|https://www.europarl.europa.eu}}
| constitution = [[Treaties of the European Union]]
| footnotes = 
}}

The '''European Parliament''' ('''EP''') is one of the two [[Legislature|legislative bodies]] of the [[European Union]] (EU) and one of its [[Institutions of the European Union|seven institutions]]. Together with the [[Council of the European Union]] (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts European legislation, following a proposal by the [[European Commission]]. The Parliament is composed of 720 [[Member of the European Parliament|members]] (MEPs), after the June 2024 European elections, from a previous 705 MEPs. It represents the second-largest democratic electorate in the world (after the [[Parliament of India]]), with an electorate of around 375&nbsp;million eligible [[Voting|voters]] in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/07/AR2009060702402.html |title=Conservatives Post Gains In European Elections |author1=Brand, Constant |author2=Wielaard, Robert |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=8 June 2009 |access-date=17 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Ian Traynor |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/jun/07/eu-elections-social-democrats |title=Misery for social democrats as voters take a turn to the right |work=The Guardian |location=UK |date=7 June 2009 |access-date=17 August 2010}}</ref><ref name="18 new MEPs take their seats">{{cite web |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/content/20120103MUN34829/html/18-new-MEPs-take-their-seats |title=18 new MEPs take their seats |publisher=European Parliament |date=10 January 2012 |access-date=14 February 2012 |archive-date=11 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511172955/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/content/20120103MUN34829/html/18-new-MEPs-take-their-seats |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Since 1979, the Parliament has been directly elected every five years by the [[Citizenship of the European Union|citizens of the European Union]] through [[universal suffrage]]. [[Voter turnout]] in parliamentary elections decreased each time after [[1979 European Parliament election|1979]] until [[2019 European Parliament election|2019]], when voter turnout increased by eight percentage points, and rose above 50% for the first time since [[1994 European Parliament election|1994]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Results of the 2014 European elections|url=http://www.results-elections2014.eu/en/turnout.html|publisher=European Parliament|access-date=7 August 2014|archive-date=3 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203022915/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/elections2014-results/en/election-results-2014.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[voting age]] is 18 in all [[Member state of the European Union|EU member states]] except for [[Malta]], [[Belgium]], [[Austria]] and [[Germany]], where it is 16, and [[Greece]], where it is 17.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Voting age for European elections {{!}} Think Tank |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2023)749767 |access-date=9 June 2023 |website=European Parliament |language=en}}</ref>

The European Parliament has legislative power in that the adoption of EU legislation normally requires its approval, and that of the Council, in what amounts to a bicameral legislature.  However, it does not formally possess the [[Right of initiative (legislative)|right of initiative]] (i.e. the right to formally initiate the legislative procedure) in the way that most [[National parliaments of the European Union|national parliaments]] of the member states do, as the right of initiative is a prerogative of the European Commission.<ref name="Parliament's powers"/><ref name="Pot initiative"/> Nonetheless, the Parliament and the Council each have the right to request the Commission to initiate the legislative procedure and put forward a proposal.<ref>Articles 225 and 241 of the [[Treaty on the Functioning of the EU]]</ref>

The Parliament is, in protocol terms, the "first institution" of the European Union (mentioned first in [[Treaties of the European Union|its treaties]] and having ceremonial precedence over the other EU institutions),<ref name="Protocol"/> and shares equal legislative and [[Budget of the European Union|budgetary powers]] with the Council (except on a few issues where [[Legislature of the European Union#Special legislative procedures|special legislative procedures]] apply). It likewise has equal control over the [[Budget of the European Union|EU budget]]. Ultimately, the European Commission, which serves as the executive branch of the EU, is accountable to Parliament. In particular, Parliament can decide whether or not to approve the European Council's nominee for [[President of the European Commission|President of the Commission]], and is further tasked with approving (or rejecting) the appointment of the Commission as a whole. It can subsequently force the current Commission to resign by adopting a [[motion of censure]].<ref name="Parliament's powers"/>

The [[president of the European Parliament]] is the body's [[Speaker (politics)|speaker]] and presides over the multi-party chamber. The five largest political groups are the [[European People's Party Group]] (EPP), the [[Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats]] (S&D), [[Patriots for Europe]] (PfE), the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group]] (ECR), and [[Renew Europe]] (Renew). The last EU-wide election was [[2024 European Parliament election|held in 2024]].

The Parliament's headquarters are officially in [[Strasbourg]], France,<ref name="treaty">[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A12012M%2FTXT Article 28] of the [[Treaty on European Union]]</ref> and has [[Secretariat of the European Parliament|its administrative offices]] in [[Luxembourg City]]. [[Plenary session]]s are normally held in Strasbourg for four days a month, but sometimes there are additional sessions in Brussels,<ref name="about-eu">{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/european-parliament/index_en.htm |title=European Parliament |publisher=Europa |date=19 April 2010 |access-date=8 December 2012}}</ref> while the Parliament's committee meetings are held primarily in Brussels, Belgium.<ref name="about-eu"/><ref name="Consolidated Treaty">{{cite web|title=Consolidated versions of the treaty on European Union and of the treaty establishing the European Community|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Eur-lex]]|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en00010331.pdf|access-date=12 June 2007|archive-date=1 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201005900/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/ce321/ce32120061229en00010331.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In practice, the Parliament works three weeks per month in Brussels and one week (four days) in Strasbourg.
[[File:Drapeaux du parlement européen, Strasbourg juillet 2019.jpg|thumb|The European Parliament in [[Strasbourg]]]]

==History==
{{further|History of the European Union}}
[[File:Flag of the European Parliament (1973-1983).svg|thumb|The European Parliament's flag until 1983]]
The Parliament, like the other EU institutions, was not designed in its current form when it first met on 10 September 1952. One of the oldest common institutions, it began as the '''Common Assembly''' of the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] (ECSC). It was a consultative assembly of 78 appointed parliamentarians [[dual mandate|drawn]] from the national parliaments of member states, having no legislative powers.<ref name="ENA History">{{cite web |title=European Parliament |publisher=[[European NAvigator]] |url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/european_parliament-en-ad6a0d57-08ef-427d-a715-f6e3bfaf775a.html|access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=EPP-ED Chronology – 1951–1960 |publisher=[[European People's Party]] |url=http://www.epp-ed.eu/group/en/chronology02.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215140042/http://www.epp-ed.eu/group/en/chronology02.asp|archive-date=15 February 2009}}</ref> The change since its foundation was highlighted by Professor [[David Farrell (political scientist)|David Farrell]] of the [[University of Manchester]]: "For much of its life, the European Parliament could have been justly labelled a 'multi-lingual talking shop' [but] is now one of the most powerful legislatures in the world"."<ref name="Farrell Powerful">{{cite web|title=Professor Farrell: "The EP is now one of the most powerful legislatures in the world"|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20070615IPR07837|date=18 June 2007|access-date=5 July 2007}}</ref> This was done notably through successive treaty changes and other agreements.<ref>Corbett, Richard (2024) "From the periphery to the centre of EU power - chapter in Michele Fiorillo (2024) "Ten Elections. A history of the European Parliament at the ballot box (1979-2024)</ref>

Its development since its foundation shows how the [[European Union]]'s structures have evolved without a clear 'master plan'. [[T. R. Reid|Tom Reid]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' has said of the union that "nobody would have deliberately designed a government as complex and as redundant as the EU".<ref>{{cite book|last=Reid|first=Tom|title=The United States of Europe|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|year=2004|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesofeu00trre/page/272 272]|url=https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesofeu00trre/page/272|isbn=0-14-102317-1|url-access=registration}}</ref> Even the Parliament's [[Location of European Union institutions#European Parliament|three working locations]] are a result of various disagreements and partial agreements among the governments of the Member States. Although most [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]]s would prefer to be based just in Brussels, where it conducts the bulk of its work, at the 1992 Edinburgh [[European Council|summit]] chaired by [[John Major]], France engineered an agreement whereby the European Parliament's official seat is in Strasbourg, but most of its work is done in Brussels.<ref name="ENA History"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.european-council.europa.eu/media/854346/1992_december_-_edinburgh__eng_.pdf |title=The European Council - Consilium |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912031712/http://www.european-council.europa.eu/media/854346/1992_december_-_edinburgh__eng_.pdf |archive-date=12 September 2014 }}</ref>

===Consultative assembly===
[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F023908-0002, Straßburg, Tagung des Europarates.jpg|thumb|left|Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in the former [[House of Europe]] in Strasbourg, France in January 1967. [[Willy Brandt]], [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany)|West German minister for Foreign Affairs]], is speaking.]]

The body was not mentioned in the original [[Schuman Declaration]]. It was assumed or hoped that difficulties with the British{{clarify|reason=What were the difficulties with the British?|date=July 2021}} would be resolved to allow the [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]] to perform legislative tasks. A separate Assembly was introduced during negotiations on the Treaty as an institution to counterbalance and monitor the [[Executive (government)|executive]] while providing democratic legitimacy.<ref name="ENA History"/> The wording of the [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|ECSC Treaty]] demonstrated leaders' desire for more than a normal consultative assembly by allowing for direct election and using the term "representatives of the people". Its early importance was highlighted when the Assembly was given the task of drawing up the draft treaty to establish a [[European Political Community (1952)|European Political Community]]. By this document, the Ad Hoc Assembly was established on 13 September 1952<ref name="AEIpolitical_union_draft_treaty_1">{{cite web|title=Ad Hoc Assembly, Information and Official Documents of the Constitutional Committee, October&nbsp;1952 to April&nbsp;1953|publisher=[[Archive of European Integration]]|year=1953|url=http://aei.pitt.edu/991/01/political_union_draft_treaty_1.pdf|access-date=29 October 2008}}</ref> with extra members, but after the failure of the negotiated and proposed [[European Defence Community]] (French parliament veto), the project was dropped.<ref name="ENA composition">{{cite web |title=Composition of the European Parliament |publisher=[[Centre virtuel de la connaissance sur l'Europe|CVCE]] |url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/political_composition_of_the_european_parliament_2004-en-13cdefb7-829e-4567-b709-6057d1fcb990.html |access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref>

Instead, the [[European Economic Community]] and [[Euratom]] were established in 1958 by the [[Treaty of Rome|Treaties of Rome]]. The Common Assembly was shared by all three communities (which had separate executives) and it renamed itself the '''European Parliamentary Assembly'''.<ref name="ENA History"/> The first meeting was held on 19 March 1958 having been set up in Luxembourg City, it elected Schuman as its president and on 13 May it rearranged itself to sit according to political ideology rather than nationality.<ref name="1958 history">{{cite web |title=1945–1959 The beginnings of cooperation: 1958 |publisher=European Parliament |url=http://europa.eu/about-eu/eu-history/1945-1959/1958/index_en.htm |access-date=20 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022231815/http://europa.eu/about-eu/eu-history/1945-1959/1958/index_en.htm |archive-date=22 October 2012 }}</ref> This is seen as the birth of the modern European Parliament, with Parliament's 50 years celebrations being held in March 2008 rather than 2002.<ref name="50 years">{{cite web|title=50th anniversary of the European Parliament celebrated in Strasbourg|publisher=European Parliament|date=12 March 2008|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+IM-PRESS+20080311IPR23707+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN |access-date=6 April 2010}}</ref>

The three communities [[Merger Treaty|merged]] their remaining organs as the [[European Communities]] in 1967, and the body's name was changed to the current "European Parliament" in 1962.<ref name="ENA History"/> In 1970 the Parliament was granted power over areas of the [[Budget of the European Union|Communities' budget]], which were expanded to the whole budget in 1975.<ref name="ENA Budget">{{cite web |title=Power of the purse of the European Parliament |publisher=[[European NAvigator]] |url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/power_of_the_purse_of_the_european_parliament-en-f0eebff2-b760-467d-951c-7ef14a350199.html |access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref> Under the Rome Treaties, the Parliament should have become elected. However, the Council was required to agree a uniform voting system beforehand, which it failed to do. The Parliament threatened to take the Council to the [[European Court of Justice]]; this led to a compromise whereby the Council would agree to elections, but with each Member State using its own electoral system, leaving the issue of a uniform  voting systems to be decided at a later date.<ref name="Hoskyns">{{cite book |author1=Hoskyns, Catherine |author2=Michael Newman |title=Democratizing the European Union: Issues for the twenty-first Century (Perspectives on Democratization) |publisher=[[Manchester University Press]] |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-7190-5666-6 }}</ref>

For its sessions the assembly, and later the parliament, until 1999 convened in the same premises as the [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]]: the House of Europe<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cvce.eu/en/obj/maison_de_l_europe_strasbourg_1950_1977-en-7cdb49c6-fc79-44bc-9b58-be425bd8cba7.html |title='Maison de l'Europe' (Strasbourg, 1950-1977) |website=cvce.eu |date=8 December 2011|access-date=18 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.strasbourg-europe.eu/l-europe-a-strasbourg/quartier-europeen/ |title=Le quartier européen de Strasbourg &#124; Strasbourg Europe |website=strasbourg-europe.eu |access-date=18 March 2022}}</ref> until 1977, and the [[Palace of Europe]] until 1999.

===Elected Parliament===
[[File:Europa Parlament 1985.jpg|thumb|left|A plenary session in the [[Palace of Europe]] in April 1985, in Strasbourg, France. It was the EP's hemicycle until 1999 when a new building was constructed in Strasbourg, France.]]

In 1979, its members were [[Elections in the European Union|directly elected]] for the [[1979 European Parliament election|first time]]. This sets it apart from similar institutions such as those of the [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]] or [[Pan-African Parliament]] which are appointed.<ref name="ENA History"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Framework |url=http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?Link=/AboutUs/APCE_framework.htm |publisher=[[Council of Europe]] |access-date=5 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609093551/http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?Link=%2FAboutUs%2FAPCE_framework.htm |archive-date=9 June 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Overview of the Pan-African Parliament |publisher=[[Pan-African Parliament]] |url=http://www.pan-africanparliament.org/AboutPAP_Overview.aspx |access-date=5 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929025936/http://www.pan-africanparliament.org/AboutPAP_Overview.aspx |archive-date=29 September 2007 }}</ref> After that first election, the parliament held its first session on 17 July 1979, electing [[Simone Veil]] MEP as its president.<ref>{{Cite web|title=40 years ago - The first session of the directly elected European Parliament|url=https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/40-years-ago-the-first-session-of-directly-elected-european-parliament_12503_pk|access-date=26 March 2021|website=Multimedia Centre|language=en}}</ref> Veil was also the first female president of the Parliament since it was formed as the Common Assembly.

As an elected body, the Parliament began to draft proposals addressing the functioning of the EU. For example, in 1984, inspired by its previous work on the Political Community, it drafted the "draft Treaty establishing the European Union" (also known as the 'Spinelli Plan' after its rapporteur [[Altiero Spinelli]] MEP). Although it was not adopted as such by the Member States, many of its ideas were later taken up in subsequent amending treaties.<ref name="ENA TEU">{{cite web |title=The European Parliament's proposals |publisher=CVCE |url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_european_parliament_s_proposals-en-9169f4c4-6aa2-40d7-af99-9004fb85332c.html |access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref> Furthermore, the Parliament began holding votes on proposed [[President of the European Commission|Commission Presidents]] from the 1980s, before it was given any formal right to veto their appointment.<ref name="Commission Appointment">{{cite web |work=European Parliament |title=Oversight over the Commission and Council |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+PRESS+BI-20041022-1+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209131410/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+PRESS+BI-20041022-1+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN |archive-date=9 February 2022 |access-date=1 July 2007}}</ref>

Since it became an elected body, the membership of the European Parliament has expanded when new nations have joined (the membership was also adjusted upwards in 1994 after [[German reunification]]). Following this, the [[Treaty of Nice]] imposed a cap on the number of members to be elected: 732, later raised to 751 by the [[Treaty of Lisbon]].<ref name="ENA History"/>

Like the other institutions, the Parliament's [[Seat (legal entity)|seat]] was not yet fixed. The provisional arrangements placed Parliament in [[Strasbourg]], while the Commission and Council had their seats in Brussels. In 1985 the Parliament, wishing to be closer to these institutions, built a second chamber in Brussels and moved some of its work there despite protests from some states. A final agreement was eventually reached by the [[European Council]] in 1992. It stated the Parliament would retain its formal seat in Strasbourg, where twelve sessions a year would be held, but with all other parliamentary activity in Brussels. This two-seat arrangement was contested by the Parliament, but was later enshrined in the [[Treaty of Amsterdam]]. To this day the [[Location of European Union institutions|institution's locations]] are a source of contention.<ref name="ENA seats">{{cite web|title=The seats of the institutions of the European Union|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_seats_of_the_institutions_of_the_european_union-en-cd672879-aeb1-4cad-a0c1-9e4ff75ff660.html|publisher=CVCE|access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref>

The Parliament gained more powers from successive revisions of the EU treaties, notably through the extension of the [[ordinary legislative procedure]] (originally called the codecision procedure),<ref name="ENA legis">{{cite web|title=Power to legislate of the European Parliament|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/power_to_legislate_of_the_european_parliament-en-4f35fdb4-323e-49a0-a138-5b11d701d9a3.html|publisher=[[Centre virtuel de la connaissance sur l'Europe|CVCE]]|access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref> and the right to approve international agreements through the consent procedure.

In 1999, the Parliament forced the resignation of the [[Santer Commission]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Topan |first=Angelina |title=The resignation of the Santer-Commission: the impact of 'trust' and 'reputation' |date=30 September 2002|publisher=European Integration Online Papers|url=http://eiop.or.at/eiop/pdf/2002-014.pdf|access-date=19 April 2013}}</ref> The Parliament had refused to approve the [[Budget of the European Union|Community budget]] over allegations of fraud and mis-management in the commission. The two main parties took on a government-opposition dynamic for the first time during the crisis which ended in the Commission resigning en masse, the first of any forced resignation, in the face of an impending censure from the Parliament.<ref name="Ringe"/>

===Commission accountability to the Parliament===

The Parliament had always had the right to dismiss the European Commission in a vote of censure, but it initially had no role in its appointment. In the 1992 [[Treaty of Maastricht]], the Member States gave the Parliament the right to approve or reject an incoming Commission. In the 1997 [[Treaty of Amsterdam]], they gave it the right to approve or reject an incoming [[President of the European Commission|Commission President]], subsequently (in the [[Treaty of Lisbon]]) describing Parliament's vote as the "election" of the President, and requiring the European Council to make its proposal to Parliament in light of the results of the European elections.<ref name="Constitution info"/>

In 2004, following the largest trans-national election in history, the European Council proposed as Commission President a candidate, [[José Manuel Barroso]], from the largest political party (the EPP). The Parliament approved him by 431 votes to 251. However, when it came to the vote on the Commission as a whole, MEPs raised doubts about some of the nominees following their performance in the public hearings of them conducted by Parliament's committees. Most notably, the [[Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs|Civil Liberties committee]] rejected [[Rocco Buttiglione]] for the post of [[European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security|Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security]] over his views on homosexuality. That was the first time the Parliament had ever opposed an incoming Commissioner and, despite Barroso's initial insistence upon Buttiglione, the Parliament forced Buttiglione to be withdrawn. A number of other Commissioners also had to be withdrawn or reassigned before Parliament voted to allow the [[Barroso Commission]] to take office.<ref name="IHT Butt"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Tobais|first=Troll|title=We have to democratise procedures|date=2 November 2004|publisher=Café Babel|url=http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=T&Id=2620|access-date=12 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051129143940/http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=T&Id=2620 |archive-date=29 November 2005}}</ref>

[[File:Bolkestein.png|thumb|upright|Parliament's overhaul of the [[Bolkestein directive]] signalled a major growth in status for Parliament.]]

The Parliament also became more assertive in amending legislative proposals put forward by the European Commission. A notable example was on the [[Bolkestein directive]] in 2006, when the Parliament voted by a large majority for over 400 amendments that changed the fundamental principle of the law. The ''[[Financial Times]]'' described it in the following terms:<ref name="FT CIO">{{cite web |title=How the European parliament got serious |date=23 February 2006 |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/56b6d760-a412-11da-83cc-0000779e2340 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/56b6d760-a412-11da-83cc-0000779e2340.html |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref>

{{Blockquote
| text      = That is where the European parliament has suddenly come into its own. It marks another shift in power between the three central EU institutions. Last week's vote suggests that the directly elected MEPs, in spite of their multitude of ideological, national and historical allegiances, have started to coalesce as a serious and effective EU institution, just as enlargement has greatly complicated negotiations inside both the Council and Commission.
| author    =
| title     = "How the European parliament got serious"
| source    = ''Financial Times'' (23 February 2006)
}}

In 2007, for the first time, Justice Commissioner [[Franco Frattini]] included Parliament in talks on the second [[Schengen Information System]] even though, in this field at the time, MEPs only needed to be consulted on parts of the package. After that experiment, Frattini indicated he would like to include Parliament in all justice and criminal matters, informally pre-empting the new powers they were due to gain in 2009 as part of the [[Treaty of Lisbon]].<ref name="Frattini 2009">{{cite web |last=Beunderman |first=Mark |title=Frattini seeks to apply new EU treaty rules before 2009 |publisher=EU Observer |date=9 November 2007 |url=http://euobserver.com/9/25117 |access-date=9 November 2007 }}</ref>

===Recent history===
{{Further|Barroso Commission}}

Between 2007 and 2009, a [[special working group on parliamentary reform]] implemented a series of changes to modernise the institution such as more speaking time for rapporteurs, increased committee co-operation and other efficiency reforms.<ref name="REFO12">{{cite web|title=Parliamentary reform put into practice|publisher=European Parliament|date=17 January 2008|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=IM-PRESS&reference=20080116BKG18998&language=EN|access-date=3 February 2009 }}</ref><ref name="REFO3">{{cite web|title=Parliamentary reform: third package adopted|publisher=European Parliament|date=20 March 2009|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+IM-PRESS+20090320IPR52228+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN|access-date=3 February 2009 }}</ref>

The Lisbon Treaty came into force on 1 December 2009, granting Parliament powers over the entire [[Budget of the European Union|EU budget]], making Parliament's [[Ordinary legislative procedure|legislative powers]] equal to the Council's in nearly all areas and describing Parliament's vote on an incoming [[President of the European Commission|Commission President]] Commission President as an "election", with the European Council having to make its proposal to Parliament in light of the results of the European elections.<ref name="Constitution info"/>

Barroso gained the support of the European Council for a second term and secured majority support from the Parliament in September 2009. Parliament voted 382 votes in favour and 219 votes against (117 abstentions) with support of the [[European People's Party]], [[European Conservatives and Reformists Party]] and the [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe]].<ref name="B2V">{{cite web|title=MEPs elect Barroso to a second term as Commission President |publisher=European Parliament |date=16 September 2009 |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/008-60584-257-09-38-901-20090911IPR60583-14-09-2009-2009-false/default_en.htm |access-date=28 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923032006/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/008-60584-257-09-38-901-20090911IPR60583-14-09-2009-2009-false/default_en.htm|archive-date=23 September 2009}}</ref> The liberals gave support after Barroso gave them a number of concessions; the liberals previously joined the socialists' call for a delayed vote (the EPP had wanted to approve Barroso in July of that year).<ref name="B2C">{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Simon |title=A second term&nbsp;– but at what price? |publisher=[[European Voice]] |date=17 September 2009 |url=http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/a-second-term-–-but-at-what-price-/65887.aspx |access-date=28 June 2007 }}</ref>

Once Barroso put forward the candidates for his next Commission, another case of MEPs opposing a particular nominee arose. Bulgarian nominee [[Rumiana Jeleva]] was forced to step down by Parliament due to concerns over her experience and financial interests. She only had the support of the EPP which began to retaliate on left wing candidates before Jeleva gave in and was replaced (setting back the final vote further).<ref name="RJ">{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Simon |title=How Jeleva was forced out |publisher=[[European Voice]] |date=21 January 2010 |url=http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/how-jeleva-was-forced-out/66933.aspx |access-date=28 June 2007 }}</ref>

Before the final vote on the Commission, Parliament demanded a number of concessions as part of a future working agreement under the new Lisbon Treaty. The deal includes that Parliament's president will attend high level Commission meetings. Parliament will have an observer seat in the EU's Commission-led international negotiations and have a right to information on agreements. Parliament did not secure an explicit vote over the appointment of [[List of diplomatic missions of the European Union|delegation]] heads and [[European Union Special Representative|special representatives]] for foreign policy, but it was agreed that they will appear before parliament after they have been appointed by the [[High Representative]]. Parliament wanted a pledge from the Commission that it would automatically put forward legislation when parliament requests. Barroso considered this an infringement on the Commission's powers but did agree to respond within three months. Most requests are already responded to positively.<ref name="B2A">{{cite web|last=Taylor|first=Simon|title=MEPs agree working relations with Barroso|publisher=[[European Voice]]|date=28 January 2010|url=http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/meps-agree-working-relations-with-barroso/66982.aspx|access-date=28 June 2007 }}</ref>

During the setting up of the [[European External Action Service]] (EEAS), Parliament used its control over the EU budget to influence the shape of the EEAS. MEPs had aimed at getting greater oversight over the EEAS by linking it to the Commission and having political deputies to the [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|High Representative]]. MEPs did not manage to get everything they demanded. However, they got broader financial control over the new body.<ref name="EEAS" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Vogel|first=Toby|title=Backing of MEPs paves way for launch of diplomatic corps|publisher=EurActiv|date=21 October 2010|url=http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/backing-of-meps-paves-way-for-launch-of-diplomatic-corps/69215.aspx|access-date=19 September 2011 }}</ref>

In December 2017, [[Politico]] denounced the insufficient racial diversity among Members of the European Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heath |first=Ryan |title=Brussels is blind to diversity |newspaper=Politico |date=11 December 2017 |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-blind-to-diversity-whiteout-european-parliament/ |access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref> The subsequent news coverage contributed to create the Brussels So White movement to campaign to rectify this situation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chander |first=Sarah |title=Why is Brussels so white? The EU's race problem that no one talks about |newspaper=The Guardian |date=19 May 2019 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/19/eu-race-problem-european-elections-meps-migrants-minorities |access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref>

On gender balance, some 37 percent of MEPs were women in the 2014-19 Parliament and 40 percent in the 2019-24 Parliament, a greater proposition than in most national Parliaments in Member States <ref>Corbett, Richard; Jacobs, Francis; Shackleton, Michael (2016). The European Parliament (9th ed.). London: John Harper Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9564508-5-2. The same three co-authors have written every edition since the first in 1990.</ref> In January 2019, MEPs supported proposals to boost opportunities for women and tackle sexual harassment in the European Parliament.<ref>{{cite news|title=MEPs follow UK's lead to promote gender equality|url=http://conservativeeurope.com/news/gender-equality|work=Conservative Europe|date=15 January 2019|access-date=29 January 2019|archive-date=23 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323130356/http://conservativeeurope.com/news/gender-equality|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2022, four people were arrested because of corruption. This came to be known as the [[Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63941509 |title=EU corruption scandal puts democracy under attack - European Parliament head |publisher=BBC News |date=12 December 2022 }}</ref>

In October 2023, the Parliament adopted a resolution to condemn "Hamas' despicable terrorist attacks against Israel".<ref>{{cite web | title = MEPs condemn Hamas attack on Israel and call for a humanitarian pause | publisher = European Parliament | date = 19 October 2023 | url = https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20231013IPR07136/meps-condemn-hamas-attack-on-israel-and-call-for-a-humanitarian-pause}}</ref>

[[File:MEPs condemn Hamas attack on Israel and call for a humanitarian pause - 53271623613.jpg|thumb|Moment of silence for victims of Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel, October 2023]]

Since then, Europe's initial and almost unconditional support for Israel started to dwindle due to the disproportionate [[Israeli war crimes in the Gaza war|attacks on the civilian population]] of [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]] and the [[Occupied West Bank]], with tens of thousands of deaths reported. In July 2025, the EU was weighing partly suspending parts of the [[Israel–European Union relations|EU-Israel Association Agreement]] over reports the country is breaching its human rights obligations in Gaza.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 July 2025 |title=EU weighs suspending Israel ties over Gaza crisis |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-ties-gaza-crisis-genocide-war-palestine-human-rights-politics/ |access-date=18 July 2025 |website=POLITICO |language=en-GB}}</ref> A majority for a suspension was not found, but the EU’s 27 foreign ministers agreed to “keep a close watch” on Israel’s compliance with a recent agreement to improve humanitarian aid access into Gaza. They also delayed agreeing on a list of 10 options to respond to Israel's action in Gaza during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 July 2025 |title=EU delays measures against Israel on Gaza despite pressure to act |url=https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/07/15/eu-delays-measures-against-israel-on-gaza-despite-pressure-to-act |access-date=18 July 2025 |website=euronews |language=en}}</ref>

==Powers and functions==
{{Politics of the European Union}}

The Parliament and Council have been compared to the two [[Chambers of parliament|chambers]] of a [[bicameral]] legislature.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bicameral Traits At EU Level |url=https://epthinktank.eu/2013/01/25/bicameral-traits-at-eu-level/|date=25 January 2013|access-date=29 April 2016|publisher=European Parliamentary Research Service|quote=A bicameral structure for the European Union has been proposed on numerous occasions. A frequent suggestion, and one designed to address the EU's alleged democratic deficit, is for a second chamber composed of national parliamentarians alongside the European Parliament. However, it is also argued that the EU already has a second chamber, the Council of the EU – representing Europe's nations, with the first chamber, the EP, representing its citizens. In regard to this latter view there are differing opinions.}}</ref> However, there are some differences from [[National parliaments of the European Union|national legislatures]]; for example, neither the Parliament nor the Council have the power of [[legislative initiative]] (except for the fact that the Council has the power in some [[Intergovernmentalism#A theory of regional integration|intergovernmental]] matters). In [[European Community|Community matters]], this is a power uniquely reserved for the [[European Commission]] (the executive). Therefore, while Parliament can amend and reject legislation, to make a proposal for legislation, it needs the Commission to draft a [[Bill (proposed law)|bill]] before anything can become law.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fact Sheets 1.3.8 The Commission|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/1_3_8_en.htm|access-date=14 June 2007 }}</ref> The value of a right of initiative has anyway been questioned by noting that in the national legislatures of the member states 85% of initiatives introduced without executive support fail to become law.<ref name="Kreppel">{{cite book|first=Amie|last=Kreppel |editor1-first=Anand |editor1-last=Menon |editor2-first=Martin A. |editor2-last=Schain |title=Comparative Federalism:The European Union and the United States in Comparative Perspective: The European Union and the United States in Comparative Perspective|url=https://archive.org/details/comparativefeder00meno|url-access=limited|pages=[https://archive.org/details/comparativefeder00meno/page/n255 245]–274|chapter=Understanding the European Parliament from a Federalist Perspective: The Legislatures of the USA and EU Compared|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=2006|isbn=978-0-19-929110-6 }}</ref> Yet it has been argued by former Parliament president [[Hans-Gert Pöttering]] that as the Parliament does have the right to ask the Commission to draft such legislation, and as the Commission is following Parliament's proposals more and more Parliament does have a ''de facto'' right of legislative initiative.<ref name="Pot initiative">{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Matt|date=24 June 2008|title=Pöttering defends parliament's role at EU summits|publisher=The Parliament Magazine|url=http://www.theparliament.com/policy-focus/foreign-affairs/foreign-affairs-article/newsarticle/poettering-defends-parliaments-role-at-eu-summits/|access-date=25 June 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524113601/http://www.theparliament.com/policy-focus/foreign-affairs/foreign-affairs-article/newsarticle/poettering-defends-parliaments-role-at-eu-summits/|archive-date=24 May 2011}}</ref>

The Parliament also has a great deal of indirect influence, through [[European Union law#Legislation|non-binding resolutions]] and [[Committees of the European Parliament|committee hearings]], as a "pan-European [[soapbox]]" with the ear of [[Brussels and the European Union#Lobbyists and journalists|thousands of Brussels-based journalists]]. There is also an indirect effect on [[Common Foreign and Security Policy|foreign policy]]; the Parliament must approve all development grants, including those overseas. For example, the support for [[Iraq War|post-war Iraq]] reconstruction, or incentives for the cessation of [[Nuclear program of Iran|Iranian nuclear development]], must be supported by the Parliament. Parliamentary support was also required for the [[Atlantic Ocean|transatlantic]] passenger data-sharing deal with the United States.<ref name="Rockwell">{{cite book |last=Schnabel |first=Rockwell |author2=Francis Rocca |title=The Next Superpower?: the Rise of Europe and its Challenge to the United States |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] Publishers |year=2005 |location=Oxford |page=111 |isbn=978-0-7425-4548-9 }}</ref> Finally, Parliament holds a non-binding vote on new EU treaties and treaties amending the EU treaties, but cannot veto them. However, when Parliament threatened to vote down the Nice Treaty, the [[Belgian Federal Parliament|Belgian]] and [[Parliament of Italy|Italian Parliaments]] said that if it did so, they would veto the treaty on the European Parliament's behalf.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kirk|first=Lizabeth|date=11 January 2001|title=No guarantee EP will back Treaty of Nice|publisher=EU Observer|url=http://euobserver.com/9/1249|access-date=19 September 2011 }}</ref>

===Legislative procedure===
With each new treaty, the powers of the Parliament, in terms of its role in the [[Ordinary legislative procedure|Union's legislative procedures]], have expanded. The procedure which has slowly become dominant is the "[[ordinary legislative procedure]]" (previously named "codecision procedure"), which provides an equal footing between Parliament and Council. In particular, under the procedure, the Commission presents a proposal to Parliament and the Council which can only become law if both agree on a text, which they do (or not) through successive readings up to a maximum of three. In its first reading, Parliament may send amendments to the Council which can either adopt the text with those amendments or send back a "common position". That position may either be approved by Parliament, or it may reject the text by an [[Majority|absolute majority]], causing it to fail, or it may adopt further amendments, also by an absolute majority. If the Council does not approve these, then a "[[Trilogue meeting|Conciliation Committee]]" is formed. The committee is composed of the Council members plus an equal number of MEPs who seek to agree a compromise. Once a position is agreed, it has to be approved by Parliament, by a simple majority.<ref name="Parliament's powers">{{cite web|title=Parliament's powers and procedures|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?language=EN&id=46|access-date=12 June 2007}}</ref><ref name="decision making">{{cite web|title=Decision-making in the European Union|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europa.eu/institutions/decision-making/index_en.htm|access-date=18 September 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011040316/http://europa.eu/institutions/decision-making/index_en.htm|archive-date=11 October 2007}}</ref> This is also aided by Parliament's mandate as the only directly democratic institution, which has given it leeway to have greater control over legislation than other institutions, for example over its changes to the [[Bolkestein directive]] in 2006.<ref name="FT CIO"/>

In practice, most legislation is adopted at the first reading stage after the Parliament and the Council, having set out their initial positions, then negotiate a compromise text.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Corbett |first1=Richard |author-link=Richard Corbett |last2=Jacobs |first2=Francis |last3=Shackleton |first3=Michael |title=The European Parliament |edition=9th |publisher=John Harper Publishing |date=2016 |location=London |isbn=978-0-9564508-5-2}} The same three co-authors have written every edition since the first in 1990.
* {{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Corbett |title=The European Parliament's Role in Closer EU Integration |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |date=June 1998 |location=LBasingstoke |isbn=978-0333722527 }}</ref> These negotiations take place in so-called "trilogue" meetings, in which the Commission is also present.

In a few areas, ''special legislative procedures'' apply. These include justice and home affairs, budget and taxation, and certain aspects of other policy areas, such as the fiscal aspects of environmental policy. In these areas, the Council or Parliament decide law alone after consulting the other (or with its consent).<ref name="lisbon explain"/>

There are different types of [[European Union law#Legislation]].<ref name="Parliament's powers"/> The strongest act is a [[Regulation (European Union)|regulation]], an [[Act of Parliament|act]] or [[Statutory law|law]] which is directly applicable in its entirety. Then there are [[Directive (European Union)|directives]] which bind member states to certain goals which they must achieve. They do this through their own laws and hence have room to manoeuvre in deciding upon them. A [[European Union decision|decision]] is an instrument which is applicable to a particular person or group. Institutions may also issue [[European Union recommendation|recommendations and opinions]] which are merely non-binding, declarations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Community legal instruments |publisher=European Parliament |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/community_legal_instruments_en.htm |access-date=18 September 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708114002/http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/community_legal_instruments_en.htm |archive-date=8 July 2007  }}</ref>

===Budget===
The Parliament and the Council are also the Union's budgetary authority since the [[Budgetary treaties of the European Communities|Budgetary Treaties]] of the 1970s and the [[Lisbon Treaty]]. The [[Budget of the European Union|EU budget]] is subject to a form of the ordinary legislative procedure with a single reading giving Parliament power over the entire budget (before 2009, its influence was limited to certain areas) on an equal footing to the Council. If there is a disagreement between them, it is taken to a conciliation committee as it is for legislative proposals. If the joint conciliation text is not approved by the Council, the Parliament may adopt the budget definitively, but only by a three-fifths majority.<ref name="lisbon explain">{{cite web|title=Explaining the Treaty of Lisbon|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Europa website]]|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/531|access-date=4 December 2009 }}</ref>

The Parliament is also responsible for discharging the implementation of previous budgets based on the annual report of the [[European Court of Auditors]]. It has refused to grant discharge only twice, in 1984 and in 1998. On the latter occasion it led to the resignation of the [[Santer Commission]]; highlighting how the discharge power gives Parliament a great deal of power over the Commission.<ref name="Hoskyns"/><ref name="Ringe"/><ref name="budget background">{{cite web |title=Budgetary control: 1996 discharge raises issue of confidence in the Commission |publisher=European Parliament |year=1999 |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/election/bilan/en/pf1901en.htm |access-date=15 October 2007 }}</ref> Parliament also makes extensive use of its budgetary, and other powers, elsewhere; for example in the setting up of the [[European External Action Service]], Parliament had a de facto veto over its design as it has to approve the budgetary and staff changes.<ref name="EEAS">{{cite web|first=Honor|last=Mahoney|title=Member states to signal broad backing for diplomatic service blueprint|publisher=[[EU Observer]]|url=http://euobserver.com/24/29916|date=23 April 2010|access-date=2 May 2010 }}</ref>

===Control of the executive===
[[File:European Parliament in 2025.jpg|thumb|European Parliament in 2025]]
The [[President of the European Commission]] is proposed by the European Council on the basis of the European elections to Parliament.<ref name="Constitution info">{{cite web|title=The Union's institutions: The European Parliament|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/constitution/parliament_en.htm|access-date=28 June 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201174755/http://europa.eu/scadplus/constitution/parliament_en.htm|archive-date=1 February 2009}}</ref> That proposal has to be approved by the Parliament (by a majority of members of the Parliament) who thereby "elect" the President according to the treaties. Following the approval of the Commission President, the members of the Commission are proposed by the President in accord with the member states. Each Commissioner comes before a relevant parliamentary committee hearing covering the proposed portfolio. They are then, as a body, approved or rejected by the Parliament.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|title=Background Information: Election of the European Commission|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+PRESS+BI-20041022-1+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN|access-date=1 July 2007 }}</ref><ref name="Commission Oversight">{{cite web|title=Oversight over the Commission and Council|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?id=46&pageRank=9&language=EN|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref>

In practice, the Parliament has never voted against a President or his Commission, but the threat to do so has produced concessions to Parliament on the Commission's composition or on policy commitments. As described above, when the Barroso Commission was put forward, the Parliament forced the proposal to be withdrawn and changed to be more acceptable to Parliament.<ref name="IHT Butt">{{cite web|last=Bowley|first=Graham|title=Buttiglione affair highlights evolving role of Parliament : Questions arise on democracy at the EU|work=International Herald Tribune|date=18 October 2004|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/10/18/brussels_ed3_.php|access-date=1 July 2007|archive-date=10 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210125124/http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/10/18/brussels_ed3_.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> That pressure was seen as an important sign by some of the evolving nature of the Parliament and its ability to make the Commission accountable, rather than being a rubber stamp for candidates. Furthermore, in voting on the Commission, MEPs also vote along party lines, rather than national lines, despite frequent pressure from national governments on their MEPs. This cohesion and willingness to use the Parliament's power ensured greater attention from national leaders, other institutions and the public{{snd}} reversing the previous decline in turnout for the Parliament's elections.<ref>{{cite web |last=Murray |first=Alasdair |title=Three cheers for EU democracy |publisher=[[Open Europe]] |year=2004 |url=http://www.cer.org.uk/articles/39_murray.html |access-date=7 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610003606/http://www.cer.org.uk/articles/39_murray.html |archive-date=10 June 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Parliament also has the power to censure the Commission by a two-thirds majority which will force the resignation of the entire Commission from office. As with approval, this power has never been explicitly used, but when faced with such a vote, the [[Santer Commission]] then [[Santer Commission#Resignation|resigned of their own accord]].

There are other control instruments, such as: the requirement of Commission to submit reports to the Parliament and answer written and oral questions from MEPs; the requirement of the President-in-office of the Council to present its programme at the start of their [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union|presidency]]; the obligation on the President of the [[European Council]] to report to Parliament after each of its meetings; the right of MEPs to make requests for legislation and policy to the Commission; and the right to question members of those institutions (e.g. "Commission [[Question Time]]" every Tuesday).<ref name="Commission Appointment"/><ref name="Commission Oversight"/> Regarding written and oral questions, MEPs voted in July 2008 to limit questions to those within the EU's mandate and ban offensive or personal questions.<ref name="EUO rise">{{cite web|last=Mahony|first=Honor|title=New rules to make it harder for MEPs to form political groups|url=http://euobserver.com/9/26468|date=9 July 2008|work=International Herald Tribune |access-date=10 July 2008}}</ref>

===Supervisory and scrutiny powers===
The Parliament also has other powers of general supervision, mainly granted by the [[Maastricht Treaty]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Maastricht Treaty 15 years on: birth of the "European Union"|publisher=European Parliament|date=7 February 2007|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/008-2784-036-02-06-901-20070206STO02783-2007-05-02-2007/default_en.htm|access-date=6 July 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209191039/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/008-2784-036-02-06-901-20070206STO02783-2007-05-02-2007/default_en.htm|archive-date=9 February 2007}}</ref> The Parliament has the power to set up a Committee of Inquiry, which it has done, for example over mad cow disease and CIA detention flights{{snd}} the former led to the creation of the [[European Medicines Agency|European veterinary agency]]. The Parliament can call other institutions to answer questions and if necessary to take them to [[Court of Justice of the European Communities|court]] if they break EU law or treaties.<ref name="supervisory">{{cite web|title=Supervisory power|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?id=46&pageRank=8&language=EN|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref> Furthermore, it has powers over the appointment of the members of the Court of Auditors<ref>{{cite web|title=Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. Rule 101: Appointment of the Members of the Court of Auditors|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+RULES-EP+20070101+RULE-101+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN&navigationBar=YES|access-date=7 July 2007}}</ref> and the president and executive board of the [[European Central Bank]]. The [[List of Presidents of the European Central Bank|ECB president]] is also obliged to present an annual report to the parliament.<ref name="supervisory"/>

The [[European Ombudsman]] is elected by the Parliament to deal with public complaints about maladministration (administrative irregularities, unfairness, discrimination, abuse of power, failure to reply, refusal of information or unnecessary delay) by any EU institution or body.<ref name="supervisory"/>

Petitions can be brought to the Parliament by any EU citizen on a matter within the EU's sphere of activities. The Parliament's [[Committee on Petitions]] hears cases, some 1500 each year, sometimes presented by the citizen themselves at the Parliament. While the Parliament attempts to resolve the issue as a mediator they do resort to legal proceedings if it is necessary to resolve the citizens dispute.<ref name="petitions">{{cite news|last=Rickards|first=Mark|title=MEPs get taste of people power|publisher=BBC News|date=3 November 2007|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7075573.stm|access-date=3 November 2007 }}</ref>

==Members==
{{Main|Members of the European Parliament}}

{{National apportionment of MEPs}}
[[File:GenderOfMEPs2024.png|thumb|Gender of the members of the European Parliament]]

The [[Member of Parliament|parliamentarians]] are known in English as [[Members of the European Parliament]] (MEPs). They are elected every five years by [[universal suffrage]] and sit according to political allegiance. About 40 percent are women. Before the [[1979 European Parliament election|first direct elections, in 1979]], they were appointed by their national parliaments.<ref name="ENA composition"/><ref name="EP Members">{{cite web|title=Members|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?id=45&pageRank=3 |access-date=27 October 2007}}</ref>

The Parliament has been criticized for underrepresentation of minority groups. In 2017, an estimated 17 MEPs were non-white,<ref>{{cite web|first=Ginger |last=Hervey |title=When Britain exits the EU, its diversity departs too |publisher=politico.eu |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-diversity-exits-the-eu-brussels/ |date=12 November 2017 |access-date=24 October 2018}}</ref> and of these, three were black, a disproportionately low number.<ref>{{cite news|title=The EU is too white – and Brexit likely to make it worse, MEPs and staff say |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/29/eu-is-too-white-brexit-likely-to-make-it-worse |newspaper=The Guardian |date=29 August 2018 |first=Jennifer |last=Rankin |access-date=24 October 2018}}</ref> According to activist organization [[European Network Against Racism]], while an estimated 10% of Europe is composed of racial and ethnic minorities, only 5% of MEPs were members of such groups following the [[2019 European Parliament election]].<ref name="Psaledakis2020">{{cite news |last1=Psaledakis |first1=Daphne |title=Minorities still lack a strong voice in new European Parliament |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-jobs-minorities/minorities-still-lack-a-strong-voice-in-new-european-parliament-idUSKCN1TD28X |access-date=25 October 2020 |work=Reuters |date=12 June 2019}}</ref>

Under the [[Treaty of Lisbon|Lisbon Treaty]], [[Apportionment in the European Parliament|seats are allocated]] to each state according to population and the maximum number of members is set at 751.<ref name="EUO Lisbon">{{cite web|last=Goldirova|first=Renata|title=EU agrees new 'Treaty of Lisbon'|date=19 October 2007|publisher=EU Observer|url=http://euobserver.com/9/25001|access-date=19 November 2007}}</ref> Since 1 February 2020 and the United Kingdom's [[Brexit|leaving the EU]], 705 MEPs  sit in the European Parliament. It rose to 720 after the 2024 elections.

Representation is currently limited to a maximum of 96 seats and a minimum of 6 seats per state and the seats are distributed according to "[[degressive proportionality]]", i.e., the larger the state, the more citizens are represented per MEP. As a result, Maltese and Luxembourgish voters have roughly 10x more influence per voter than citizens of the six largest countries.

{{As of|2014}}, Germany (80.9 million inhabitants) has 96 seats (previously 99 seats), i.e. one seat for 843,000 inhabitants. Malta (0.4 million inhabitants) has 6 seats, i.e. one seat for 70,000 inhabitants.

The new system implemented under the Lisbon Treaty, including revising the seating well before elections, was intended to avoid political [[horse trading (political)|horse trading]] when the allocations have to be revised to reflect demographic changes.<ref>{{cite web|quote=In approving the European Council's draft decision, the committee asks that the proposed distribution be revised, well in advance of the beginning of the 2014-2019 legislative term, so as to set up an objective and fair system for allocating the seats in the EP, in order take account of demographic changes and 'avoid the traditional political horse-trading between Member States'. |title=Distribution of EP seats: Constitutional Affairs Committee approvals proposal|date=4 October 2007|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+IM-PRESS+20070927BRI10862+ITEM-002-EN+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN |access-date=3 November 2018}}</ref>

Pursuant to this apportionment, the [[European Parliament constituency|constituencies]] are formed. In four EU member states (Belgium, Ireland, Italy and Poland), the national territory is divided into a number of constituencies. In the remaining member states, the whole country forms a single constituency. All member states hold elections to the European Parliament using various forms of [[proportional representation]].

===Transitional arrangements===
Due to the delay in ratifying the Lisbon Treaty, the [[7th European Parliament|seventh parliament]] was elected under the lower Nice Treaty cap. A [[Treaties of the European Union#Transitional provisions protocol|small scale treaty amendment]] was ratified on 29 November 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=IM-PRESS&reference=20100223BKG69359&language=EN |title=Ratification of Parliament's 18 additional MEPs completed |publisher=European Parliament |date=29 November 2011 |access-date=14 February 2012}}</ref> This amendment brought in transitional provisions to allow the 18 additional MEPs created under the Lisbon Treaty to be elected or appointed before the 2014 election.<ref>{{cite web|title=Agreement details: Protocol amending the Protocol on Transitional Provisions annexed to the Treaty on European Union, to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Deposited with the Government of the Italian Republic)|publisher=Council of the European Union|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/App/accords/Default.aspx?command=details&id=297&lang=EN&aid=2010057&doclang=EN|access-date=4 October 2011|archive-date=25 May 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525113731/http://www.consilium.europa.eu/policies/agreements/search-the-agreements-database?lang=en&command=details&id=297&lang=en&aid=2010057&doclang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref> Under the Lisbon Treaty reforms, Germany was the only state to lose members from 99 to 96. However, these seats were not removed until the 2014 election.<ref name="extra meps">{{cite web|last=Willis|first=Andrew|title=MEPs seek change to Lisbon Treaty to accommodate new colleagues|date=8 April 2010|publisher=[[EU Observer]]|url=http://euobserver.com/18/29822|access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref>

===Salaries and expenses===
Before 2009, members received the same salary as members of their national parliament. However, from 2009 a new members statute came into force, after years of attempts, which gave all members an equal monthly pay, of €8,484.05 each in 2016, subject to a European Union tax and which can also be taxed nationally. MEPs are entitled to a pension, paid by Parliament, from the age of 63. Members are also entitled to allowances for office costs and subsistence, and travelling expenses, based on actual cost.<ref>{{cite web|title=About MEPs|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/about-meps.html|access-date=13 January 2019}}</ref> Besides their pay, members are granted a number of privileges and [[Diplomatic immunity|immunities]]. To ensure their free movement to and from the Parliament, they are accorded by their own states the facilities accorded to senior officials travelling abroad and, by other state governments, the status of visiting [[Diplomat|foreign representative]]s. When in their own state, they have all the immunities accorded to national parliamentarians, and, in other states, they have immunity from [[Detention (imprisonment)|detention]] and [[Criminal procedure|legal proceedings]]. They may then only be prosecuted after the European Parliament waives their immunity. However, immunity cannot be claimed when a member is found committing a criminal offence and the Parliament also has the right to strip a member of their immunity.<ref name="LEX Prot">{{cite web|title=7. Protocol on the privileges and immunities of the European Union|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|Eur-Lex]]|date=16 December 2004|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2004/c_310/c_31020041216en02610266.pdf|access-date=27 October 2007}}</ref>

===Political groups===
{{Main|Political groups of the European Parliament}}

MEPs in Parliament are organised into eight different [[parliamentary group]]s; members who do not join a group are known as ''non-attached members'' or ''[[non-inscrits]]''.

The two largest groups are the [[European People's Party Group]] (EPP) and the [[Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats|Socialists & Democrats]] (S&D). These two groups have dominated the Parliament for much of its existence, jointly holding between 50 and 70 percent of the seats until 2019. No single group has ever held an absolute majority in Parliament.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|last=Kreppel |first=Amie |title=The European Parliament and Supranational Party System |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2002 |url=https://assets.cambridge.org/97805218/06251/sample/9780521806251ws.pdf |access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref>

As a result of being broad alliances of national parties, political groups in the European Parliament are decentralised and have more in common with parties in federal states like Germany or the United States than with unitary states, like the majority of the EU member states.<ref name="Kreppel"/> Nevertheless, the political groups were actually more cohesive than their US counterparts between 2004 and 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title="What to expect in the 2009–14 European Parliament": Analysis from a leading EU expert|publisher=European Parliament website|year=2009|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/008-60547-292-10-43-901-20090911STO60546-2009-19-10-2009/default_en.htm|access-date=17 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210105843/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/008-60547-292-10-43-901-20090911STO60546-2009-19-10-2009/default_en.htm|archive-date=10 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cohesion rates|publisher=Vote Watch|year=2010|url=http://www.votewatch.eu/cx_european_party_groups.php|access-date=17 February 2010 }}</ref>

Half of the groups are based on a single [[European political party]], such as the [[European People's Party]], with the addition of MEPs from national parties not members of a European party and independent MEPs. The others, such as the [[Greens–European Free Alliance]] group or the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group]], center on two European parties, as well as other national parties and independents.<ref>{{cite web|title=Party Politics in the EU |publisher=civitas.org.uk |url=http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/download/CIT.3.EU%20Political%20Parties.pdf |access-date=12 June 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019072737/http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/download/CIT.3.EU%20Political%20Parties.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2007 }}</ref>

Groups need 23 MEPs from seven different member states to register. Following registration, groups receive public funding from the budget of the European Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/faq/1/what-are-political-groups-and-how-are-they-formed|title=What are political groups and how are they formed?|publisher=European Parliament|access-date=20 August 2021}}</ref>

===Coalitions===
Given that the Parliament does not form the government in the traditional sense of many parliamentary systems, majorities are built issue by issue. Generally, this is along broadly [[consensus democracy|consensual]] lines with dynamic coalitions<ref>[http://aei.pitt.edu/97364/1/wp75_marie.pdf European Parliament: Is the grand coalition really a thing of the past?, Awenig Marié, 2019]</ref> rather than [[majority rule]] of competing parties and coalitions.

These coalitions usually involve the [[European People's Party]] and the Socialist and Democrat Group of the [[Party of European Socialists]] who tend to co-operate to find compromises between them and then bring in others. Their relationship has been described as a [[grand coalition]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Settembri |first=Pierpaolo |title=Is the European Parliament competitive or consensual&nbsp;... "and why bother"? |url=http://www.fedtrust.co.uk/admin/uploads/FedT_workshop_Settembri.pdf |publisher=Federal Trust |date=2 February 2007 |access-date=7 October 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026181653/http://www.fedtrust.co.uk/admin/uploads/FedT_workshop_Settembri.pdf |archive-date=26 October 2007  }}</ref> However, this does not always produce agreement, and each may instead try to build other alliances, the EPP normally with other centre-right or right wing Groups and the PES with centre-left or left wing groups. Sometimes, the Liberal (Renew Europe) Group is then in the pivotal position.

There are also occasions where very sharp party political divisions have emerged, for example over the [[Santer Commission#Budget controversy|resignation of the Santer Commission]].<ref name="Ringe"/> When the initial allegations against the Commission emerged, they were directed primarily against [[Édith Cresson]] and [[Manuel Marín]], both socialist members. When the parliament was considering refusing to discharge the [[Budget of the European Union|Community budget]], President [[Jacques Santer]] stated that a no vote would be tantamount to a [[vote of no confidence]]. The Socialist Group initially supported the Commission and saw the issue as an attempt by the EPP to discredit their party ahead of the 1999 elections. Socialist leader, [[Pauline Green]] MEP, attempted a vote of confidence and the EPP put forward counter motions. During this period the two parties took on similar roles to a government-[[Opposition (parliamentary)|opposition]] dynamic, with the Socialists supporting the executive and EPP renouncing its previous coalition support and voting it down.<ref name="Ringe"/> Politicisation such as this has been increasing, in 2007 Simon Hix of the [[London School of Economics]] noted that:<ref name="Farrell Powerful"/>
{{blockquote|Our work also shows that politics in the European Parliament is becoming increasingly based around party and ideology. Voting is increasingly split along left-right lines, and the cohesion of the party groups has risen dramatically, particularly in the fourth and fifth parliaments. So there are likely to be policy implications here too.}}

During the fifth term, 1999 to 2004, there was a break in the grand coalition resulting in a centre-right coalition between the Liberal and People's parties.<ref name="Watson interview">{{cite web|title=Interview: Graham Watson, leader of group of Liberal Democrat MEPs |url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/elections/interview-graham-watson-leader-group-liberal-democrat-meps/article-128543 |publisher=Euractiv |date=15 June 2004 |access-date=1 November 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814000107/http://www.euractiv.com/en/elections/interview-graham-watson-leader-group-liberal-democrat-meps/article-128543 |archive-date=14 August 2007  }}</ref> This was reflected in the Presidency of the Parliament with the terms being shared between the EPP and the Liberals (then called ELDR), rather than the EPP and Socialists.<ref>{{cite news|title=European Parliament elects new president |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/398892.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=20 July 1999|access-date=1 November 2007}}</ref> In the following term the liberal group grew to hold 88 seats, the largest number of seats held by any third party in Parliament.<ref name="ALDE formed">{{cite web|title=The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is born |date=14 July 2004 |publisher=Graham Watson MEP website |url=http://www.grahamwatsonmep.org/news/000017/the_alliance_of_liberals_and_democrats_for_europe_is_born.html |access-date=7 October 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205090940/http://www.grahamwatsonmep.org/news/000017/the_alliance_of_liberals_and_democrats_for_europe_is_born.html |archive-date=5 December 2007  }}</ref> The EPP-S&D coalition lost their majority after the [[2019 European Parliament election]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 May 2019 |title=European elections 2019: Power blocs lose grip on parliament |language=en-GB |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48417744 |access-date=19 October 2022}}</ref> requiring support by at least one other political group for a majority, most frequently the liberal Renew Group or the Greens.

==Elections==
{{Main|Elections to the European Parliament}}
Elections have taken place, directly in every member state, every five years since 1979. {{As of|2019}} there have been ten elections. When a nation joins mid-term, a by-election is held in that country to elect its representatives. This has happened six times, most recently when Croatia joined in 2013. Elections take place on over a four-day period from a Thursday to a Sunday (each Member State votes on the day of its choice).

Member States choose their electoral system within common guidelines, notably that the suffrage must be universal and that seats are allocated by [[proportional representation]]. This includes determining constituencies: while most Member States have a national constituencies, some divide their allocation between regions. Seats are [[Apportionment in the European Parliament|allocated to member states]] according to their population, since 2014 with no state having more than 96, but no fewer than 6, to maintain proportionality.<ref>{{cite web|title=The European Parliament: electoral procedures |publisher=European Parliament |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/1_3_4_en.htm |access-date=12 June 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070617144910/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/1_3_4_en.htm |archive-date=17 June 2007 }}</ref>

The most recent Union-wide elections to the European Parliament were the [[2019 European Parliament election|European elections of 2019]], held from 23 to 26 May 2019. They were the largest simultaneous transnational elections ever held anywhere in the world.
The first session of the ninth parliament started 2 July 2019.<ref>
[http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190627IPR55404/constitution-of-the-9th-legislature-of-the-european-parliament "Constitution of the 9th legislature of the European Parliament |News |European Parliament"]. European Parliament. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.</ref>

[[European political parties]] have the exclusive right to campaign during the European elections (as opposed to their corresponding EP groups).<ref>{{cite web |title=European political parties |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/contracts-and-grants/en/20150201PVL00101/Political-parties-and-foundations |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=europarl.europa.eu |publisher=European Parliament}}</ref> There have been a number of proposals designed to attract greater public attention to the elections. One such innovation in the 2014 elections was that the [[European political party|pan-European political parties]] announced, ahead of the elections, their candidates for [[President of the European Commission|president]] of the [[European Commission|Commission]], the so-called ''Spitzenkandidaten'' (German, "leading candidates" or "top candidates"). The President of the European Commission is nominated by the European Council, representing the governments of the member states, and while there is no obligation for them to nominate the successful "candidate", the Lisbon Treaty states that they should take account of the results of the elections when choosing whom to nominate, and the candidate they propose must be endorsed by a majority of members of the European Parliament.<ref>[[Richard Corbett]] 'The European Parliament and the Spitzenkandidaten Process', in Matilde Ceron, Thomas Christiansen, Dionyssis G. Dimitrakopoulos (eds) 'The Politicisation of the European Commission's Presidency: Spitzenkandidaten and Beyond' ISBN 978-3-031-48172-7 (print) and ISBN 978-3-031-48173-4 (eBook)</ref>

The ''Spitzenkandidaten'' in 2014 were [[Jean-Claude Juncker]] for the [[European People's Party]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://juncker.epp.eu|title=Jean-Claude Juncker: Experience. Solidarity. Future.|publisher=European People's Party|access-date=20 July 2021|archive-date=17 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117130239/http://juncker.epp.eu/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Martin Schulz]] for the [[Party of European Socialists]], [[Guy Verhofstadt]] for the [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party]], [[Ska Keller]] and [[José Bové]] jointly for the [[European Green Party]] and [[Alexis Tsipras]] for the [[Party of the European Left]]. The EPP won the most seats and Jean-Claude Juncker was nominated by the European Council and elected by the Parliament.

In 2019, the parties again announced their candidates for President of the Commission ahead of the European elections, notably [[Manfred Weber]] for the EPP and [[Frans Timmermans]] for the Party of European Socialists.  However, after the election, there was no agreement among the parties after the election to back any of them. After a period of deadlock, the European Council proposed [[Ursula von der Leyen]] as a compromise and Parliament elected her, albeit by a narrow majority.

In 2024, the EPP decided to back Von der Leyen for a second term of office and put her forward as their "Spitzenkandidat" while the PES put forward [[Nicolas Schmit]]. After the election, the European Council duly nominated her and the Parliament elected her by 401 votes to 284, with support from the EPP, the Socialists, the liberal Renew Group and the Greens.<ref>"Ursula von der Leyen secures five more years in top EU job". BBC News. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024</ref>

Until 2014, turnout dropped consistently in every election since the first election, and from 1999 until 2014 was below 50%. In 2007 both [[2007 European Parliament election|Bulgaria and Romania elected their MEPs]] in by-elections, having joined at the beginning of 2007. The Bulgarian and Romanian elections saw two of the lowest turnouts for European elections, just 28.6%<ref>{{cite web|title=New GERB party narrowly wins Bulgaria's first European Parliament election|date=21 May 2007|publisher=[[Southeast European Times]]|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/05/21/nb-01|access-date=8 July 2007}}</ref> and 28.3% respectively.<ref>{{cite web|title=Romania chooses its 35 MEPS|date=26 November 2007|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/011-13241-329-11-47-902-20071115STO13229-2007-25-11-2007/default_en.htm|access-date=24 February 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213202736/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/011-13241-329-11-47-902-20071115STO13229-2007-25-11-2007/default_en.htm|archive-date=13 December 2007}}</ref> This trend was interrupted in the 2019 election, when turnout increased by 8% EU-wide, rising to 50.6%, the highest since 1994.

In England, Scotland and Wales, EP elections were originally held for a constituency MEP on a first-past-the-post basis. In 1999 the system was changed to a form of [[proportional representation]] where parties put up a team of candidates in regional constituencies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/voting-in-the-uk/european-elections|title=Ways of voting - GOV.UK}}</ref> One could vote for a party's list of candidates, but not for an individual candidate (unless that party had a single candidate).

==Proceedings==
[[File:CantinesEUbrussel.jpg|thumb|These "relocation boxes" of the European Parliament, called "cantines", are ready to be transported between [[Strasbourg]] and [[Brussels]]. The EP moves back and forth to meet the EU treaty obligation to hold plenary sessions in Strasbourg.]]

Formally, the European Parliament has an annual "session", divided into monthly "part-sessions" and daily "sittings". In practice, this entails a monthly cycle with two committee weeks where matters are discussed in committees, political group weeks for members to discuss work within their political groups, and session weeks where members spend {{frac|3|1|2}} days in [[Strasbourg]] for part-sessions. In addition six 2-day part sessions are organised in [[Brussels]] throughout the year. Four weeks a year are allocated as constituency week to allow members to do exclusively constituency work, which they  otherwise have to do at weekends. Finally there are no meetings planned during the summer weeks.<ref>{{cite web|title=European Parliament 2007 calendar of activities|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sed/doc/ext/hemicycle/PLAN_BRU.pdf|access-date=14 September 2009 }}</ref>

The Parliament has the power to meet without being convened by another authority. Its meetings are partly set out by the treaties but are otherwise up to Parliament according to its own "Rules of Procedure" (the regulations governing the parliament).<ref name=rules>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=URISERV:o10000|title=EUR-Lex - o10000 - EN - EUR-Lex}}</ref>

During sittings, members may speak after being called on by the President. Members of the Council or Commission may also attend and speak in debates.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. Rule 141: Calling speakers and content of speeches|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+RULES-EP+20070101+RULE-141+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN&navigationBar=YES|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. Rule 142: Allocation of speaking time|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+RULES-EP+20070101+RULE-142+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN&navigationBar=YES|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref> Partly due to the need for interpretation, and the politics of consensus in the chamber, debates tend to be calmer and more polite than, say, the [[Westminster system]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Yeomans|first=Chris|title=Democracy 1, Autocracy 0?|publisher=Café Babel|date=2 November 2004|url=http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=A&Id=976|access-date=9 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050608053201/http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=A&Id=976 |archive-date=8 June 2005}}</ref> Voting is conducted primarily by a show of hands, that may be checked on request by electronic voting.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. Rule 164: Disputes on voting|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+RULES-EP+20070101+RULE-164+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN&navigationBar=YES|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref> Votes of MEPs are not recorded in either case, however; that only occurs when there is a roll-call ballot. This is required for the final votes on legislation and also whenever a political group or 30 MEPs request it. The number of roll-call votes has increased with time. Votes can also be a completely secret ballot (for example, when the president is elected).<ref>{{cite web|title=How do MEPs vote?|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20060628STO09319&secondRef=0|date=28 June 2006|access-date=6 July 2007 }}</ref><ref>Hix &amp;al (see [[#Further reading|further reading]] below), §1.4 ("The dataset: roll-call votes in the European Parliament"), p.29–30.</ref> All recorded votes, along with minutes and legislation, are recorded in the ''[[Official Journal of the European Union]]'' and can be accessed online.<ref>{{cite web|title=The different types of document available on Europarl|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/guide/search/docsearch_en.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016212424/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/guide/search/docsearch_en.htm|archive-date=16 October 2006|access-date=7 July 2007}}</ref> Votes usually do not follow a debate, but rather they are grouped with other due votes on specific occasions, usually at noon on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays. This is because the length of the vote is unpredictable and if it continues for longer than allocated it can disrupt other debates and meetings later in the day.<ref name="Corbett 174">{{Cite book|last=Corbett|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Corbett|author2=Francis Jacobs|author3=Michael Shackleton|title=The European Parliament|edition=7|year=2007|place=London|publisher=John Harper|isbn=978-0-9551144-7-2|page=174|author-link2=Francis Jacobs}}</ref>

Members sit in a [[Hemicycle (chamber)|hemicycle]] according to their political groups (in the Common Assembly, prior to 1958, members sat alphabetically<ref name="Corbett 167"/>) who are ordered mainly by left to right. All desks are equipped with microphones, headphones for listening to interpretation, and electronic voting equipment. The leaders of the Groups sit on the front benches, and in the very centre is a podium for guest speakers. The remaining half of the circular chamber is primarily composed of the raised area where the President and staff sit. Further benches are provided between the sides of this area and the MEPs, these are taken up by the Council on the far left and the Commission on the far right. Both the Brussels and Strasbourg hemicycle roughly follow this layout with only minor differences.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brussels seating plan|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sce/data/fast_access/doc//PLAN_BRX_30%20JAN_2008.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227035017/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sce/data/fast_access/doc//PLAN_BRX_30%20JAN_2008.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 February 2008|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref> The hemicycle design is a compromise between the different Parliamentary systems. The British-based system has the different groups directly facing each other while the French-based system is a semicircle (and the traditional German system had all members in rows facing a rostrum for speeches). Although the design is mainly based on a semicircle, the opposite ends of the spectrum do still face each other.<ref name="Corbett 167">{{Cite book|last=Corbett|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Corbett|author2=Francis Jacobs|author3=Michael Shackleton|title=The European Parliament|edition=7|year=2007|place=London|publisher=John Harper|isbn=978-0-9665544-7-2|page=167|author-link2=Francis Jacobs}}</ref>

Access to the chamber limited, entrance is controlled by ushers who also aid MEPs in the chamber (for example in delivering documents). The ushers can also occasionally act as a form of police in enforcing the President, for example in ejecting an MEP who is disrupting the session (although this is rare). The first head of protocol in the Parliament was French, so many of the duties in the Parliament are based on the French model first developed following the [[French Revolution]]. The ushers are highly visible in the Parliament, dressed in black [[Tailcoat|tails]] and wearing a silver chain, and are [[EU Concours|recruited]] in the same manner as the [[European Civil Service|European civil service]]. The President is allocated a personal usher.<ref>{{cite web|title=The European Parliament Ushers|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20051017FCS01532&secondRef=0|access-date=21 June 2007 }}</ref>

===President and organisation===
[[File:Roberta Metsola elected new President of the European Parliament (51828380418) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Roberta Metsola]], the current [[President of the European Parliament]]]]
{{Main|President of the European Parliament}}

The President is essentially the [[Speaker (politics)|speaker]] of the Parliament and presides over the plenary when it is in session. The President's signature is required for all acts adopted by co-decision, including the EU budget. The President is also responsible for representing the Parliament externally, including in legal matters, and for the application of the rules of procedure. The President is elected for two-and-a-half-year terms, meaning two elections per parliamentary term.<ref>{{cite web|title=Duties of the President|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+RULES-EP+20040720+RULE-019+DOC+XML+V0//EN&navigationBar=YES|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Functions|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/the-president/en/president/functions.html|access-date=20 September 2012}}</ref> The current President of the European Parliament is [[Roberta Metsola]], who was elected in January 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 January 2022|title=Roberta Metsola elected new President of the European Parliament |publisher=European Parliament|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220114IPR21012/roberta-metsola-elected-new-president-of-the-european-parliament|access-date=18 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

In most countries, the protocol of the [[head of state]] comes before all others; however, in the EU the Parliament is listed as the first institution, and hence the protocol ranking of its president comes before any other European, or national, protocol. The gifts given to numerous visiting dignitaries depend upon the President. President [[Josep Borrell]] MEP of Spain gave his counterparts a crystal cup created by an artist from Barcelona who had engraved upon it parts of the [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union|Charter of Fundamental Rights]] among other things.<ref name="Protocol">{{cite web|title=Parliament's Protocol Service |date=28 July 2006|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20060728FCS09980&secondRef=0|publisher=European Parliament|access-date=28 October 2007 }}</ref>

A number of notable figures have been President of the Parliament and its predecessors. The first President was [[Paul-Henri Spaak]] MEP,<ref>though the history of Parliament sometimes excludes the early Common Assembly, in which interpretation the first President would be [[Robert Schuman]] (another founding father) in those circumstances.</ref> one of the [[Founding fathers of the European Union|founding fathers of the Union]]. Other founding fathers include [[Alcide de Gasperi]] MEP and [[Robert Schuman]] MEP. The three female Presidents were [[Simone Veil]] MEP in 1979 (first President of the elected Parliament), [[Nicole Fontaine]] MEP in 1999, both Frenchwomen, and [[Roberta Metsola]] from Malta in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former E.P. Presidents|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/the-president/en/president/formers.html|access-date=20 September 2012|archive-date=22 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422224508/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/the-president/en/president/formers.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The previous president, [[Jerzy Buzek]] was the first [[East-Central Europe]]an to lead an EU institution, a former [[Prime Minister of Poland]] who rose out of the [[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity]] movement in Poland that helped overthrow communism in the [[Eastern Bloc]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Jerzy Buzek elected new President of the European Parliament|publisher=European Parliament|date=14 July 2009|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/008-58049-201-07-30-901-20090710STO58039-2009-20-07-2009/default_en.htm|access-date=14 July 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723091956/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/008-58049-201-07-30-901-20090710STO58039-2009-20-07-2009/default_en.htm|archive-date=23 July 2009}}</ref>

During the election of a President, the previous President (or, if unable to, one of the previous vice-presidents) presides over the chamber.<ref name="LeP">{{cite news|title=MEPs move to deny extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen platform |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/mar/26/le-pen-eu-france|access-date=15 April 2009 |first=Ian |last=Traynor |date=26 March 2009}}</ref> Prior to 2009, the [[President of the European Parliament#Oldest member|oldest member]] fulfilled this role<ref>{{cite web|title=Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. Rule 11: Oldest member|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+RULES-EP+20070101+RULE-011+DOC+XML+V0//EN&navigationBar=YES|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref> but the rule was changed to prevent far-right French MEP [[Jean-Marie Le Pen]] taking the chair.<ref name="LeP"/>

The Parliament also elects 14 [[Vice President of the European Parliament|Vice-Presidents]] who chair debates when the President is not in the chamber. There are a number of bodies responsible for the running of Parliament. The two main ones are the [[Bureau (European Parliament)|Bureau]], which is responsible for budgetary and administration issues and is composed of the President and the Vice-Presidents, and the [[Conference of Presidents]] which is the political governing body and is composed of the President of the Parliament and the leaders of each of the Parliament's political groups. Looking after the financial and administrative interests of members are five [[Quaestor (European Parliament)|Quaestors]].

{{As of|2014}}, the European Parliament budget was EUR 1.756 billion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en/00059f3ea3/The-budget-of-the-European-Parliament.html |title=The budget of the European Parliament |publisher=European Union |access-date=22 April 2011 |quote=The 2014 EP budget amounts to € 1,756 billion of which 35% is for staff expenses, mainly salaries for the 6000 officials working in the General Secretariat and in the Political Groups.. }}</ref> A 2008 report on the Parliament's finances highlighted certain overspending and miss-payments. Despite some MEPs calling for the report to be published, Parliamentary authorities had refused until an MEP broke confidentiality and leaked it.<ref>{{cite news|title=MEP makes fraud report public
|publisher=BBC News |location=UK |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7280032.stm|access-date=28 October 2011 |date=5 March 2008}}</ref>

===Committees and delegations===
[[File:Committee Room of the European Parliament in Brussels.jpg|thumb|A Committee room]]
{{Main|Committees of the European Parliament}}

The Parliament has 20 [[Standing Committee]]s ranging in size from 25 to 88 MEPs (each reflecting the political make-up of the whole Parliament) including a chair, a bureau and secretariat. They meet twice a month in public to draw up, amend to adopt legislative proposals and reports to be presented to the plenary.<ref name="Organised">{{cite web|title=Organisation|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en/20150201PVL00010/Organisation|access-date=3 May 2016|quote=In order to do the preparatory work for Parliament's plenary sittings, the Members are divided up among a number of specialised standing committees. There are 20 parliamentary committees. A committee consists of between 25 and 71 MEPs, and has a chair, a bureau and a secretariat. The political make-up of the committees reflects that of the plenary assembly. }}</ref> The [[rapporteur]]s for a committee are supposed to present the view of the committee, although notably this has not always been the case: in the events leading to the resignation of the Santer Commission, the rapporteur went against the [[Committee on Budgetary Control|Budgetary Control Committee's]] narrow vote to discharge the budget, and urged the Parliament to reject it.<ref name="Ringe">{{cite web |last=Ringer |first=Nils F. |title=The Santer Commission Resignation Crisis |publisher=[[University of Pittsburgh]] |date=February 2003 |url=http://aei.pitt.edu/2919/01/156.pdf |access-date=7 October 2007 }}</ref>

The Parliament can also set up sub-committees (e.g. the [[Subcommittee on Human Rights]]) and temporary committees to deal with a specific topic (e.g. the Special Committee on Foreign Interference in Democratic Processes in the European Union, 2020–23). The chairs of the Committees co-ordinate their work through the "[[Committees of the European Parliament#Conference of Committee Chairs|Conference of Committee Chairmen]]".<ref name="Organised"/>

The nature of the committees differ from their national counterparts as, although smaller in comparison to those of the [[United States Congressional committee|United States Congress]], the European Parliament's committee secretariats are unusually large by European standards with between eight and twelve dedicated members of staff and three to four support staff. Considerable administration, archives and research resources are also at the disposal of the whole Parliament when needed.<ref name="Kreppel"/>

[[European Parliament Delegations|Delegations of the Parliament]] are formed in a similar manner and are responsible for relations with Parliaments outside the EU. There are 44 delegations, mostly small (around 15 MEPs) but some larger. Chairpersons of the delegations also cooperate in a conference like the committee chairs do. Delegations include "Interparliamentary delegations" (maintain relations with Parliament outside the EU), "joint parliamentary committees" (maintaining relations with parliaments of states which are candidates or associates of the EU), the delegation to the [[ACP EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly]] and the delegation to the [[Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly]].<ref name="Organised"/> MEPs also participate in other international activities such as the [[Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly]], the [[NATO Assembly]], the [[Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue]] and through [[Election monitoring|election observation]] in third countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=European Parliament: In Detail|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/expert.do?language=EN|publisher=European Parliament|access-date=9 July 2007 }}</ref>

===Intergroups===
[[File:Dvorana Jožeta Pučnika Jože Pučnik Hall.jpg|thumb|[[Jože Pučnik]] conference room]]

The [[Intergroups in the European Parliament]] are informal fora which gather MEPs from various political groups around any topic. They do not express the view of the European Parliament. They serve a double purpose: to address a topic which is transversal to several committees and in a less formal manner. Their daily secretariat can be run either through the office of MEPs or through interest groups, be them corporate lobbies or NGOs. The favored access to MEPs which the organization running the secretariat enjoys can be one explanation to the multiplication of Intergroups in the 1990s.<ref>[http://www.cairn.info/revue-politique-europeenne-2003-1-page-123.htm Dutoit Laurent, « L'influence au sein du Parlement européen : les intergroupes », Politique européenne 1/2003 (n° 9), p. 123-142].</ref> They are now strictly regulated and financial support, direct or otherwise (via Secretariat staff, for example), must be officially specified in a declaration of financial interests.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/intergroupes/legislature_8/DecisionofCoPof16Dec1999-Rules_governing_the_establishment_of_integroupes.pdf|title=Article 6, Rules governing the establishment of intergroups, decision of the Conference of Presidents, 16 december 1999 (last updated 11 September 2014)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RULES-9-2023-11-01-RULE-035_EN.html | title=Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament - Rule 35 - Intergroups - November 2023 }}</ref> Also Intergroups are established or renewed at the beginning of each legislature through a specific process. Indeed, the proposal for the constitution or renewal of an Intergroup must be supported by at least 3 political groups who can each support a limited number of proposals in proportion to their size (for example, for the legislature 2014–2019, the EPP or S&D political groups could support 22 proposals whereas the Greens/EFA or the EFDD political groups only 7).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/intergroupes/legislature_8/DecisionofCoPof16Dec1999-Rules_governing_the_establishment_of_integroupes.pdf|title=Annex 1, Rules governing the establishment of intergroups, decision of the Conference of Presidents, 16 december 1999 (last updated 11 September 2014)}}</ref>

===Translation and interpretation===
{{Multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| header            = Interpretation in the European Parliament
| width             = 
| image1            = 2007 07 16 parlament europejski bruksela 47.JPG
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = Interpreting booths in the hemicycle simultaneously interpret debates between 24 languages.
| image2            = Hearing of Commissioner-designate Thierry Breton (49068586441).jpg
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = Interpreter at a committee hearing for the confirmation of [[Thierry Breton]] to the European Commission in 2019
}}
{{See also|Languages of the European Union}}

Speakers in the European Parliament are entitled to speak in any of the 24 official [[languages of the European Union]], ranging from French and German to [[Maltese language|Maltese]] and [[Irish language|Irish]]. Simultaneous interpreting is offered in all plenary sessions, and all final texts of legislation are translated. With twenty-four languages, the European Parliament is the most multilingual parliament in the world<ref>{{cite web|title=Press Release: Irish language arrives in European Parliament|date=11 January 2007|publisher=European Parliament Irish Office|url=http://www.europarl.ie/news_press_release_2_2007.html |access-date=12 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928103833/http://www.europarl.ie/news_press_release_2_2007.html| archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref> and the biggest employer of interpreters in the world (employing 350 full-time and 400 freelancers when there is higher demand).<ref name="Interpreters">{{cite web|title=The European Parliament's Interpreters.|date=12 April 2006|publisher=European Parliament|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20060403FCS06935&secondRef=0|access-date=21 June 2007}}</ref> Citizens may also address the Parliament in [[Basque language|Basque]], [[Catalan language|Catalan]]/[[Valencian language|Valencian]] and [[Galician language|Galician]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The European Parliament allows the written communication of citizens in Basque, Catalan and Galician. |year=2006 |publisher=Ciemen |url=http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/notidetail.cfm?IDA=897&lg=gb |access-date=21 June 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927003800/http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/notidetail.cfm?IDA=897&lg=gb |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref>

Usually a language is translated from a foreign tongue into a translator's native tongue. Due to the large number of languages, some being minor ones, since 1995 interpreting is sometimes done the opposite way, out of an interpreter's native tongue (the "retour" system). In addition, a speech in a minor language may be interpreted through a third language for lack of interpreters ("relay" interpreting){{snd}} for example, when interpreting out of [[Estonian language|Estonian]] into Maltese.<ref name="Interpreters"/> Due to the complexity of the issues, interpretation is not word for word. Instead, interpreters have to convey the political meaning of a speech, regardless of their own views. This requires detailed understanding of the politics and terms of the Parliament, involving a great deal of preparation beforehand (e.g. reading the documents in question). Difficulty can often arise when MEPs use profanities, jokes and word play or speak too fast.<ref name="Interpreters"/>

While some see speaking their native language as an important part of their identity, and can speak more fluently in debates, interpretation and its cost has been criticised by some. A 2006 report by [[Alexander Stubb]] MEP highlighted that by only using English, French and German costs could be reduced from [[Euro|€]]118,000 per day (for 21 languages then{{snd}} [[Romanian language|Romanian]], [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] and [[Croatian language|Croatian]] having not yet been included) to €8,900 per day.<ref>{{cite news|title=In European Parliament, debate – in 21 languages – can be pricey|date=12 September 2006|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0912/p05s01-woeu.html|newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref> There has also been a small-scale campaign to make French the reference language for all legal texts, on the basis of an argument that it is more clear and precise for legal purposes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Campaign to make French sole legal language in EU|date=7 February 2007|work=International Herald Tribune |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/07/europe/EU-GEN-EU-French.php|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref>

Because the proceedings are translated into all of the official EU languages, they have been used to make a multilingual [[Text corpus|corpus]] known as [[Europarl corpus|Europarl]]. It is widely used to train [[statistical machine translation]] systems.<ref>Philipp Koehn (2005) Europarl: [http://www.iccs.inf.ed.ac.uk/~pkoehn/publications/europarl-mtsummit05.pdf A Parallel Corpus for Statistical Machine Translation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705060514/http://www.iccs.inf.ed.ac.uk/~pkoehn/publications/europarl-mtsummit05.pdf |date=5 July 2010 }}, in ''MT Summit 2005''</ref>

== Corruption scandals ==
===Qatar related===
{{Main|Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament}}

Qatargate is an ongoing political scandal, involving allegations that European Parliament officials, lobbyists and their families have been influenced by the governments of Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania, engaging in corruption, money laundering, and organized crime to improve the image of these countries in the EU<ref>Becker, Markus; Buschmann, Rafael; Naber, Nicola; Neukirch, Ralf; Truckendanner, Petra (20 January 2023). "A Secret Meeting in Suite 412. Inside the European Parliament Corruption Scandal". Der Spiegel. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.</ref> amongst others to kill off six parliamentary resolutions condemning Qatar's human rights record, and working to deliver a visa-free travel deal between Doha and the EU. Law enforcement authorities in Belgium, Italy and Greece seized €1.5 million in cash, confiscated computers and mobile phones, and charged four individuals with the alleged offences:<ref>Gregory, James (12 December 2022). "EU corruption charges 'very very worrisome', says foreign policy chief". BBC News. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022</ref><ref>Lynch, Suzanne (12 December 2022). "EU standards chief calls for tougher lobbying rules amid Qatar scandal". Politico Europe. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.</ref><ref>Matriche, Joël; Colart, Louis; Clérix, Kristof ("Knack") (13 December 2022). "Scandale de corruption européen: plus d'1,5 million d'euros cash saisi chez Panzeri et Kaili (photo)". Le Soir (in French). Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022</ref><ref>"Qatar Gate, 750 thousand euros seized from Eva Kaili: all in cash, denominations of 20 and 50 euros". L'Unione Sarda. 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2023.</ref> Eva Kaili, Antonio Panzeri, an Italian former MEP, Francesco Giorgi and Luca Visentini. Later also Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, Marc Tarabella and Andrea Cozzolino were arrested. In 2023, Belgian MEP Marie Arena was charged, and in 2025, two more women: Elisabetta Gualmini and Alessandra Moretti.

===Azerbaijan related===
[[Azerbaijan]] has been harshly criticized for bribing foreign officials and diplomats to promote its causes abroad and legitimize its elections at home, a practice termed [[caviar diplomacy]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Corruption Scandal Badly Shakes European Parliament's Credibility |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/corruption-scandal-in-the-european-parliament-who-got-the-bags-of-money-a-10e736f6-108a-472f-8fc2-77c6f48dea2a |work=Der Spiegel |date=16 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=News Report: The Caviar Diplomacy Scandal and Human Rights-Linked Money Laundering in Germany |url=https://www.hriui.com/en/news-report-the-caviar-diplomacy-scandal-and-human-rights-linked-money-laundering-in-germany/ |work=Human Rights Institute |date=22 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The "Caviar Diplomacy" Scandal: Azerbaijan's Lobbying in PACE and the Munich Court Verdict |url=https://brusselswatch.org/the-caviar-diplomacy-scandal-azerbaijans-lobbying-in-pace-and-the-munich-court-verdict/ |work=Brussels Watch |date=1 August 2025}}</ref> In 2023 the Swedish-German investigative platform Blankspot published several investigative reports about freewheeling trips made by several European Parliament members to Azerbaijan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 December 2022 |title=After a paid trip to Azerbaijan several EU parliamentarians stopped criticizing the regime |url=https://blankspot.se/after-a-paid-trip-to-azerbaijan-several-eu-parliamentarians-stopped-criticizing-the-regime/ |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=Blankspot}}</ref> Several publications have emphasised how these trips raise questions on the reliability of EU Parliament ethics codes and the importance of enforcing them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Evropski parlament se mora temeljito očistiti |url=https://www.delo.si/novice/svet/evropski-parlament-se-mora-temeljito-ocistiti/ |access-date=17 March 2023 |website=www.delo.si |language=sl-si}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=27 January 2023 |title=[Investigation] No record of Latvian MEP's 'official' Azerbaijan trip |url=https://euobserver.com/world/156647 |access-date=16 March 2023 |website=EUobserver |language=en}}</ref>

===French National Front assistants affair===
In December 2023, [[Marine Le Pen]] was ordered to stand trial after she was charged with paying National Front party officials through funds earmarked for European Parliament assistants.<ref>Kostov, Nick (8 December 2023). "France's Marine Le Pen to Face Trial Over Spending". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.</ref> Twenty-seven others, including her father Jean Marie, served as her co-defendants.<ref>"French far-right leader Marine Le Pen to stand trial over alleged misuse of EU funds". Reuters. 8 December 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.</ref> Her trial, for misappropriation of public funds, was scheduled in March 2024 to occur between 30 September and 27 November the same year.<ref>"Marine le Pen sera jugée à partir du 30 septembre pour des soupçons de détournement de fonds européens". Le Monde.fr (in French). 27 March 2024. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.</ref>

On 31 March 2025, eight MEPs, 12 assistants from the National Rally, and Le Pen were found guilty of embezzling European Union funds by a Paris court.<ref>"French Court bans far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running for office". France 24. 31 March 2025. Archived from the original on 31 March 2025.</ref> Le Pen received a four-year prison sentence, two years of which were suspended, in addition to a €100,000 fine. She did not begin serving the two years' house arrest immediately as all appeals must be exhausted before this part of the sentence is executed. Similarly, she did not lose her seat in the lower house of the French parliament immediately. On the other hand, the court also banned her, effective immediately, from standing for political office for five years, making her ineligible to run in the 2027 French presidential election.<ref>"Condamnation de Marine Le Pen : inéligibilité, bracelet électronique… Quelles conséquences après l'appel ?". Le Nouvel Obs (in French). 31 March 2025. Archived from the original on 31 March 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2025</ref>

===Russia related===
The former British MEP [[Nathan Gill]] ([[UKIP]] and later the Leader of the [[Reform UK]] party in Wales) pleaded guilty on Friday, 26 September 2025 to eight counts of bribery, under the UK's Bribery Act, 2010. He had taken payments to speak in the European Parliament to promote Russian interests, in particular in relation to Ukraine.<ref>https://www.counterterrorism.police.uk/former-mep-pleads-guilty-to-bribery-following-investigation/</ref>

===Other===
A January 2024 report published by investigative outlet ''Follow the Money'' found that 1 in 4 EU lawmakers have been implicated in judicial cases or scandals. Out of 253 cases highlighted in the report, only 23 have resulted in convictions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Almost 1 in 4 EU lawmakers involved in scandals |url=https://www.ftm.eu/articles/european-parliamentarians-involved-in-hundreds-of-scandals |website=Follow The Money |date=31 January 2024 |access-date=17 October 2024}}</ref>

There are also ongoing concerns related to allegations that members of the European Parliament were illegally or unethically influenced by Russia. Such concerns have been raised several times in 2023 and 2024 and dubbed "Russiagate".<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Pedro |last1=Marques |first2=Gabriele |last2=Bischoff |first3=Andreas |last3=Schieder |first4=Raphaël |last4=Glucksmann |first5=Tonino |last5=Picula |first6=Domènec |last6=Ruiz Devesa |title=Motion for a resolution on Russiagate: allegations of Russian interference in the democratic processes of the European Union |id=B9-0125/2024  |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2024-0125_EN.html |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=European Parliament |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 February 2024 |title=Cs Asked Metsola That The European Parliament Investigate Puigdemont For Russian Espionage |url=https://worldnationnews.com/cs-asked-metsola-that-the-european-parliament-will-investigate-puigdemont-for-russian-espionage/ |website=World Nation  |access-date=9 February 2024 |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207014901/https://worldnationnews.com/cs-asked-metsola-that-the-european-parliament-will-investigate-puigdemont-for-russian-espionage/ |archive-date= 7 February 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 January 2024 |title=Latvian member of European Parliament accused of spying officially under investigation |url=https://news.yahoo.com/latvian-member-european-parliament-accused-074420015.html |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}</ref>

Panzeri's lobbying group, Fight Impunity, was largely funded by [[Iqbal Survé]], a controversial South African billionaire. Survé's [[Sekunjalo Investments|Sekunjalo Development Foundation]] was found to be the "most important donor" having donated €250,000 to the group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Tim |date=21 December 2022 |title=Iqbal Survé's Sekunjalo Development Foundation linked to EU scandal |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-12-21-iqbal-surves-sekunjalo-development-foundation-linked-to-organisation-at-centre-of-eu-corruption-scandal/ |access-date=9 June 2024 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brussels to question ex-commissioner over Qatar scandal |url=https://www.ft.com/content/23f27ce6-b12e-4426-aea7-36c1b58cee76 |access-date=9 June 2024 |website=www.ft.com}}</ref>

===Anti-corruption policies===
The European Parliament has had criticism over its prodigality and for being too complacent with conflicts of interest.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 March 2011 |title=Le Parlement européen terni par une affaire de corruption |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2011/03/22/01003-20110322ARTFIG00778-le-parlement-europeen-terni-par-une-affaire-de-corruption.php |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=LEFIGARO |language=fr}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=19 January 2023 |title=EU Influence: Shrugging off oversight — Uber crunch — Stellantis skips lobbying |url=https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/politico-eu-influence/shrugging-off-oversight-uber-crunch-stellantis-skips-lobbying-2/ |first1=    Sarah |last1=Wheaton |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref> Its refusal to become full member of the [[Group of States against Corruption|GRECO]] like all its member states is also a matter of criticism.<ref name=":0" />

The European Parliament revised its rules of procedure and its code of conduct in September 2023,<ref>"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2023.</ref> placing six main obligations on MEPs:<ref>Corbett, Richard (18 November 2023). "'Labour should follow the EU's lead and tighten lobbying rules for MPs'". labourlist.org. Retrieved 31 January 2024.</ref><ref>How the European
Parliament reacted to the biggest corruption scandal in its history. https://www.newstatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/21/TheReportCIPRsupplement9Feb2024.pdf</ref>

* To make a detailed Declaration of private interests, including those from the 3 years prior to their election
* When total external income exceeds €5,000, all the entities from which their income is received to be disclosed 
* With regard to conflicts of interest, to resolved or declare them
* Not to engage in paid lobbying activities linked to the EU's decision-making process
* To meet only with interested parties who sign up to the EU's Transparency Register and to make disclosure of such meetings, and also of meetings held with representatives of third country diplomats
* To make a Declaration of all assets and liabilities at the beginning, and again at the end, of every term of office.

==Annual costs==
According to the European Parliament website, the annual parliament budget for 2021 was €2.064 billion, which corresponds to 1.2% of [[Budget of the European Union|EU budget]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliament's budget |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/en/organisation-and-rules/parliaments-budget |access-date=17 September 2022 |website=europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> The main cost categories were:
* 45%{{snd}} staff (staff expenses, contract agents, linguistic services)
* 22%{{snd}} operational costs (buildings, IT, administration)
* 26%{{snd}} political activities (members, activities of political groups, parties and foundations)
* 6%{{snd}} communications

According to a European Parliament study prepared in 2013, the Strasbourg seat costs an extra €103 million over maintaining a single location and according to the Court of Auditors an additional €5 million is related to travel expenses caused by having two seats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/faq/19/why-does-parliament-move-between-brussels-and-strasbourg|title=Why does Parliament move between Brussels and Strasbourg?|website=europarl.europa.eu}}</ref>{{EP election results graph (percentage)}}

As a comparison, the German lower house of parliament ([[Bundestag]]) is estimated to cost €517 million in total for 2018, for a parliament with 709 members.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article169033905/So-viel-zahlen-die-Deutschen-fuer-die-Demokratie.html|title=So viel zahlen die Deutschen für die Demokratie|newspaper=Die Welt|date=26 September 2017|last1=Eckert|first1=Daniel}}</ref> The [[British House of Commons]] reported total annual costs in 2016–2017 of £249 million (€279 million). It had 650 seats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-expenditure/Admin%20Annual%20Accounts/AdminAnnualReport1617.pdf|title=Annual Report and Accounts 2016–17, p. 70|website=parliament.uk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718205626/https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-expenditure/Admin%20Annual%20Accounts/AdminAnnualReport1617.pdf|archive-date=18 July 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

According to ''The Economist'', the European Parliament costs more than the British, French and German parliaments combined. A quarter of the costs is estimated to be related to translation and interpretation costs (c. €460 million) and the double seats are estimated to add an additional €180 million a year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/briefing/2014/05/15/elected-yet-strangely-unaccountable|title=Elected, yet strangely unaccountable|date=15 May 2014|newspaper=The Economist}}</ref> For a like-for-like comparison, these two cost blocks can be excluded.

On 2 July 2018, MEPs rejected proposals to tighten the rules around the General Expenditure Allowance (GEA),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/strasbourg-european-parliament-meps-reject-scrutiny-of-expenses/|title=MEPs reject scrutiny of their expenses|date=3 July 2018|website=Politico}}</ref> which "is a controversial €4,416 per month payment that MEPs are given to cover office and other expenses, but they are not required to provide any evidence of how the money is spent".<ref>[https://www.politico.eu/article/brexit-european-parliament-nigel-farage-daniel-hannan-british-members-of-european-parliament-to-bag-lucrative-post-brexit-pay-out/ MAÏA DE LA BAUME, ''British MEPs to bag lucrative post-Brexit payout'', Politico, 9 Jan. 2019].</ref>

==Seats==
{{Multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| header            = Seats of the European Parliament
| width             = 
| image1            = 
| alt1              = Louise Weiss Building in [[Strasbourg]], France
| caption1          = [[Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg|Louise Weiss Building]] in [[Strasbourg]], {{Flag|France}}
| image2            = European Parliament (DSC01793).jpg
| alt2              = Espace Léopold building in [[Brussels]], Belgium
| caption2          = [[Espace Léopold]] building in [[Brussels]], {{Flag|Belgium}}
| image3            = Luxembourg, Europaparlament Parlement européen tram stop (104).jpg
| alt3              = Konrad Adenauer building in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| caption3          = [[Konrad Adenauer]] building in [[Luxembourg City]], {{Flag|Luxembourg}} (seat of the Secretariat-General)
| total_width       = 
}}

{{Further|Location of European Union institutions|Espace Léopold|Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg}}

The Parliament is based in three different cities with numerous buildings. The Member States attached a protocol to the [[Treaty of Amsterdam]] that requires 12 plenary sessions to be held in [[Strasbourg]] (in practice, none in August but two in October), which is described as the Parliament's official seat, while extra part sessions as well as committee meetings are held in [[Brussels]]. Luxembourg City hosts the [[Secretariat of the European Parliament]].<ref name="Consolidated Treaty"/> The European Parliament is one of at least two assemblies in the world with more than one meeting place (another being the [[Tynwald|parliament of the Isle of Man, Tynwald]]) and one of the few that does not have the power to decide its own location.<ref name="Strange">{{cite web|last=Alvaro|first=Alexander|title=Europe's strangest migrants|date=6 July 2006|publisher=Café Babel|url=http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/1906/europes-strangest-migrants.html|access-date=1 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122025558/http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/1906/europes-strangest-migrants.html|archive-date=22 January 2012|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

The Strasbourg seat is considered a symbol of reconciliation between France and Germany, two countries that previously fought over the region. However, the cost and inconvenience of having two seats is questioned. While Strasbourg is the official seat, and sits alongside the [[Council of Europe]],<ref>{{cite web|title=The Council of Europe and the European Union sign an agreement to foster mutual cooperation|date=23 May 2007|url=https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?Ref=PR331(2007)&Language=lanEnglish&Ver=original&BackColorInternet=F5CA75&BackColorIntranet=F5CA75&BackColorLogged=A9BACE&ShowBanner=no&Target=_self|publisher=[[Council of Europe]]|access-date=12 June 2007 }}</ref> [[Brussels and the European Union|Brussels is home to nearly all other major EU institutions]], with the majority of Parliament's work being carried out there. Critics have described the two-seat arrangement as a "travelling circus",<ref name="Seat Green">{{cite web|title=Greens condemn EU parliament's 'traveling circus' |date=26 April 2007 |url=http://www.4ecotips.com/eco/article_show.php?aid=1222&id=280 |publisher=4ecotips |access-date=5 July 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070519183136/http://www.4ecotips.com/eco/article_show.php?aid=1222&id=280 |archive-date=19 May 2007 }}</ref> and there is a strong movement to establish Brussels as the sole seat. This is because the other political institutions (the Commission, Council and European Council) are located there, and hence Brussels is treated as the '[[Capital city|capital]]' of the EU. This movement has received strong backing from numerous figures, including [[Margot Wallström]], Commission First-Vice President from 2004 to 2010, who stated that "something that was once a very positive symbol of the EU reuniting France and Germany has now become a negative symbol{{snd}} of wasting money, bureaucracy and the insanity of the Brussels institutions".<ref>{{cite web|title=Wallstrom: "Strasbourg has become a negative symbol"|work=EurActiv &#124; EU News & policy debates, across languages |date=5 September 2006|publisher=EurActiv|url=http://www.euractiv.com/future-eu/wallstroem-strasbourg-negative-s-news-216926|access-date=19 October 2014}}</ref> The [[European Green Party|Green Party]] has also noted the environmental cost in a study led by [[Jean Lambert]] MEP and [[Caroline Lucas]] MEP; in addition to the extra 200&nbsp;million euro spent on the extra seat, there are over 20,268&nbsp;tonnes of additional carbon dioxide, undermining any environmental stance of the institution and the Union.<ref name="Seat Green"/> The campaign is further backed by a million-strong online petition started by [[Cecilia Malmström]] MEP.<ref>{{cite web|last=Malmström|first=Cecilia|author-link=Cecilia Malmström|title=OneSeat.eu|url=http://www.oneseat.eu/|access-date=12 June 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609081546/http://www.oneseat.eu/|archive-date=9 June 2007}}</ref> In August 2014, an assessment by the European Court of Auditors calculated that relocating the Strasbourg seat of the European Parliament to Brussels would save €113.8 million per year.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Erikak |url=http://www.euractiv.com/sections/future-eu/auditors-put-price-tag-eu-parliament-travelling-circus-303846|title=Auditors put price tag on EU Parliament 'travelling circus'|work=EurActiv &#124; EU News & policy debates, across languages |date=August 2014}}</ref> In 2006, there were allegations of irregularities in the charges made by the city of Strasbourg on buildings the Parliament rented, thus further harming the case for the Strasbourg seat.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kroeger|first=Alix|title=EU and Strasbourg in rent row|date=27 April 2006|publisher=BBC News|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4952228.stm|access-date=5 July 2007}}</ref>

Most MEPs prefer Brussels as a single base.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wheatly|first=Paul|title=The two-seat parliament farce must end|date=2 October 2006|url=http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/2047/the-two-seat-parliament-farce-must-end.html|publisher=Café Babel|access-date=12 June 2007 |url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610174433/http://www.cafebabel.com/en/article.asp?T=A&Id=2047 |archive-date=10 June 2007}}</ref> A poll of MEPs found 89% of the respondents wanting a single seat, and 81% preferring Brussels.<ref>{{cite web|title=Euro MPs want to scrap Strasbourg base: poll|date=13 June 2007|url=http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1181757615.41|publisher=EU Business|access-date=22 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930165033/http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1181757615.41 |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> Another survey found 68% support.<ref name="Farrell Powerful"/> In July 2011, an absolute majority of MEPs voted in favour of a single seat.<ref>[http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/majority-of-meps-now-favour-single-seat/ Majority of MEPs now favour single seat] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716022548/http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/majority-of-meps-now-favour-single-seat/ |date=16 July 2011 }} theparliament.com</ref> In early 2011, the Parliament voted to scrap one of the Strasbourg sessions by holding two within a single week.<ref>{{cite web|title=MEPs vote to reduce Strasbourg calendar |date=10 March 2011 |publisher=EurActiv |access-date=24 March 2011 |url=http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/meps-vote-reduce-strasbourg-calendar-news-502987 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312115210/http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/meps-vote-reduce-strasbourg-calendar-news-502987 |archive-date=12 March 2011  }}</ref> The [[Roland Ries|mayor of Strasbourg]] officially reacted by stating "we will counter-attack by upturning the adversary's strength to our own profit, as a [[judo]]ka would do".<ref>{{cite web|title=Le conseil municipal adopte à l'unanimité une motion confortant et élargissant le siège du Parlement européen à Strasbourg|date=21 March 2011|publisher=EurActiv|access-date=24 March 2011 |url=http://www.strasbourg.eu/accueil?ItemID=1633917363}}</ref> However, as Parliament's seat is now fixed by the treaties, it can only be changed by the Member States, acting unanimously and with national ratification, meaning that France could veto any move.<ref name="Strange"/> Former French President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] stated that the Strasbourg seat is "non-negotiable" and that France has no intention of surrendering the only EU Institution on French soil.<ref>{{cite web|last=Banks |first=Martin |title=Sarkozy slated over Strasbourg seat |date=24 May 2007 |publisher=EU Politix: The Parliament |url=http://www.eupolitix.com/EN/News/200705/8216d9d5-0c44-46e2-a6d8-6166c30e812f.htm |access-date=22 June 2007 |url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927225555/http://www.eupolitix.com/EN/News/200705/8216d9d5-0c44-46e2-a6d8-6166c30e812f.htm |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref> Given France's declared intention to veto any relocation to Brussels, some MEPs have advocated [[civil disobedience]] by refusing to take part in the monthly exodus to Strasbourg.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/legacy/thereporters/markmardell/2007/12/post_5.html Giving up the Strasbourg junket] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325182034/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2007/12/post_5.html |date=25 March 2019 }} Mark Mardell, BBC News. 4 December 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.policyreview.eu/meps-demand-single-seat-in-brussels-but-france-refuses-to-give-up-on-strasbourg/|title=MEPs demand single seat in Brussels but France refuses to give up on Strasbourg - Policy Review|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160517215034/http://www.policyreview.eu/meps%2Ddemand%2Dsingle%2Dseat%2Din%2Dbrussels%2Dbut%2Dfrance%2Drefuses%2Dto%2Dgive%2Dup%2Don%2Dstrasbourg/|archive-date=17 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=Daniela |url=http://www.euractiv.com/future-eu/meps-voted-monthly-travels-stras-news-515651|title=MEPs vote to end monthly travel to Strasbourg|work=EurActiv &#124; EU News & policy debates, across languages |date=25 October 2012}}</ref>

However, the main building in Brussels has been suffering for more than a decade from a state of degradation. Renovation or reconstruction works including a hemicycle were estimated to cost at least €500 million in 2017 with fear that the cost would be even higher<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 June 2017 |title=European Parliament 'panic' at cost of new building |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/european-parliament-panic-at-cost-of-new-building/ |access-date=1 February 2023 |website=Politico}}</ref> and possibly escalate up to €1 billion,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Benjamin |date=11 October 2022 |title=MEPs back €500m Parliament building works despite 'worst possible timing' |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/meps-back-e500m-parliament-building-works-despite-worst-possible-timing/ |access-date=1 February 2023 |website=euractiv.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> whereas the seat in Strasbourg already offers a fully-fledged hemicycle.

==Channels of dialogue, information, and communication with European civil society==

Individual  MEPs are the main point of contact for citizens with the Parliament. They normally have an office in their constituency and travel back at the end of every week (and during weeks without parliamentary meetings) to participate in an array of meetings, events, interviews, visits and suchlike with voters, businesses, trade unions, local authorities and media.

The Parliament itself maintains a detailed website,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/en/home | title=About Parliament }}</ref> receives around one million visitors a year, and streamlines debates and committee meetings.

Over the last few years, European institutions have committed to promoting transparency, openness, and the availability of information about their work.<ref>{{Cite report|author=Juan Mayoral|date=February 2011|title=Democratic improvements in the European Union under the Lisbon Treaty Institutional changes regarding democratic government in the EU|publisher=European Union Democracy Observatory (EUDO). Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute|access-date=25 May 2017|url=https://www.eui.eu/Projects/EUDO-Institutions/Documents/EUDOreport922011.pdf|language=en|archive-date=30 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530022226/http://www.eui.eu/Projects/EUDO-Institutions/Documents/EUDOreport922011.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In particular, transparency is regarded as pivotal to the action of European institutions and a general principle of EU law, to be applied to the activities of EU institutions in order to strengthen the Union's democratic foundation.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Giordano Locchi|language=it|date=8 February 2017|title=Il principio di trasparenza in Europa nei suoi risvolti in termini di Governance amministrativa e di comunicazione istituzionale dell'Unione|journal=Amministrazione in Cammino|access-date=22 May 2017|url=https://www.dispi.unisi.it/sites/st06/files/allegatiparagrafo/08-02-2017/locchi_principio-di-trasparenza_e-governance_11.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803052649/https://www.dispi.unisi.it/sites/st06/files/allegatiparagrafo/08-02-2017/locchi_principio-di-trasparenza_e-governance_11.pdf|archive-date=3 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The general principles of openness and transparency are reaffirmed in the articles 8 A, point 3 and 10.3 of the [[Treaty of Lisbon]] and the [[Maastricht Treaty]] respectively, stating that "every citizen shall have the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union. Decisions shall be taken as openly and as closely as possible to the citizen".<ref name="eur-lex.europa.eu">{{Cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3AC2007%2F306%2F01|title=Trattato di Lisbona che modifica il Trattato sull'Unione europea e il Trattato che istituisce la Comunità europea (2007/C 306/01)|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|publisher=EUR-lex}}</ref><ref name="eur-lex.europa.eu-2">{{Cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:2bf140bf-a3f8-4ab2-b506-fd71826e6da6.0017.02/DOC_1&format=PDF|title=Trattato sull'Unione europea (Versione consolidata)|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|access-date=23 May 2017|language=it}}</ref> Furthermore, both treaties acknowledge the value of dialogue between citizens, representative associations, civil society, and European institutions.<ref name="eur-lex.europa.eu" /><ref name="eur-lex.europa.eu-2" />

===Dialogue with religious and non-confessional organisations===

Article 17 of the [[Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union]] (TFEU) lays the juridical foundation for an open, transparent dialogue between European institutions and churches, religious associations, and non-confessional and philosophical organisations.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu">{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/it/20160919PVL00112/Dialogo-con-le-religioni-e-le-organizzazioni-non-confessionali|title=Dialogo con le organizzazioni religiose e non confessionali Articolo 17 TFUE|website=europarl.europa.eu|publisher=Parlamento europeo|access-date=22 May 2017|language=it}}</ref> In July 2014, in the beginning of the 8th term, then President of the European Parliament [[Martin Schulz]] tasked [[Antonio Tajani]], then vice-president, with implementing the dialogue with the religious and confessional organisations included in article 17.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2015/03/27/vaticaninsider/ita/nel-mondo/lue-a-bruxelles-il-dialogo-interreligioso-come-strategia-contro-lestremismo-bbjEnG3KL5FtW7ykRfeElO/pagina.html|title=L'Ue a Bruxelles: il dialogo interreligioso come strategia contro l'estremismo|newspaper=La Stampa|date=27 March 2015|access-date=22 May 2017|language=it|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809211604/http://www.lastampa.it/2015/03/27/vaticaninsider/ita/nel-mondo/lue-a-bruxelles-il-dialogo-interreligioso-come-strategia-contro-lestremismo-bbjEnG3KL5FtW7ykRfeElO/pagina.html|archive-date=9 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In this framework, the European Parliament hosts high-level conferences on inter-religious dialogue, also with focus on current issues and in relation with parliamentary works.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu" />

===European Parliament Mediator for International Parental Child Abduction===

The chair of European Parliament Mediator for International Parental Child Abduction was established in 1987 by initiative of British MEP Charles [[Henry Plumb]], with the goal of helping minor children of international couples victim of parental abduction. The Mediator finds negotiated solutions in the higher interest of the minor when said minor is abducted by a parent following separation of the couple, regardless whether married or unmarried.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.altalex.com/documents/news/2015/04/10/sottrazione-internazionale-e-mediazione|title=Sottrazione internazionale di minore: ammessa la mediazione familiare|publisher=Altalex|date=19 June 2015|access-date=22 May 2017|language=it}}</ref><ref name="europarl.europa.eu-2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/it/20150201PVL00040/Mediatore-europeo-per-i-casi-di-sottrazione-di-minori|title=Mediatore del Parlamento europeo per i casi di sottrazione internazionale di minori|website=europarl.europa.eu|publisher=European Parliament|access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref> Since its institution, the chair has been held by [[Mairead McGuinness]] (since 2014), Roberta Angelilli (2009–2014), Evelyne Gebhardt (2004–2009), Mary Banotti (1995–2004), and Marie-Claude Vayssade (1987–1994).<ref name="europarl.europa.eu-2" /> The Mediator's main task is to assist parents in finding a solution in the minor's best interest through mediation, i.e. a form of controversy resolution alternative to lawsuit. The Mediator is activated by request of a citizen and, after evaluating the request, starts a mediation process aimed at reaching an agreement. Once subscribed by both parties and the Mediator, the agreement is official. The nature of the agreement is that of a private contract between parties.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu-2" /> In defining the agreement, the European Parliament offers the parties the juridical support necessary to reach a sound, lawful agreement based on legality and equity. The agreement can be ratified by the competent national courts and can also lay the foundation for consensual separation or divorce.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu-2" />

=== Liaison Offices (EPLOs) & Antennas ===
The European Parliament operates Liaison Offices (EPLOs) in all Member States, as well as in the United Kingdom ([[London]] and the United States ([[Washington, D.C.]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Offices {{!}} Liaison offices {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://liaison-offices.europarl.europa.eu/en/offices |access-date=2025-09-17 |website=European Parliament |language=en}}</ref> On 17 September 2025, European Parliament President [[Roberta Metsola]] opened the Parliament's antenna office in Kyiv, co-located with the [[Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine|EU delegation]] in [[Kyiv]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-17 |title=Parliament inaugurates permanent presence in Kyiv {{!}} News {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20250917IPR30430/parliament-inaugurates-permanent-presence-in-kyiv |access-date=2025-09-17 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> The [[European Parliament]] also operates antennas in [[New York City|New York]] (for the [[United Nations]]), [[Addis Ababa]] (for the [[African Union]]) [[Jakarta]] (for [[ASEAN]]), [[Tirana]] (for the Western [[Balkans]]), [[Chișinău]] (for [[Eastern Partnership]]). All antennas are co-located within the [[EEAS]] delegations.

==European Parliamentary Research Service==
The [[European Parliamentary Research Service]] (EPRS) is the European Parliament's in-house research department and think tank. It provides [[Member of the European Parliament|Members of the European Parliament]]{{snd}} and, where appropriate, [[Committees of the European Parliament|parliamentary committees]]{{snd}} with independent, objective and authoritative analysis of, and research on, policy issues relating to the European Union, in order to assist them in their parliamentary work. It is also designed to increase Members' and EP committees' capacity to scrutinise and oversee the [[European Commission]] and other [[Bodies of the European Union|EU executive bodies]].

EPRS aims to provide a comprehensive range of products and services, backed by specialist internal expertise and knowledge sources in all policy fields, so empowering Members and committees through knowledge and contributing to the Parliament's effectiveness and influence as an institution. In undertaking this work, the EPRS supports and promotes parliamentary outreach to the wider public, including dialogue with relevant stakeholders in the [[European Union|EU]]'s system of multi-level governance. All EPRS publications are publicly available on the EP Think Tank platform.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/en/20150201PVL00031/European-Parliamentary-Research-Service |title=European Parliamentary Research Service |publisher=Europarl.europa.eu |access-date=24 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/The_work_of_EPRS-2014_to_2016.pdf|title=The work of EPRS – The first three years: 2014 to 2016|publisher=European Parliamentary Research Service|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref>

==Eurobarometer of the European Parliament==
The European Parliament periodically commissions opinion polls and studies on public opinion trends in member states to survey perceptions and expectations of citizens about its work and the overall activities of the European Union. Topics include citizens' perception of the European Parliament's role, their knowledge of the institution, their sense of belonging in the European Union, opinions on European elections and European integration, identity, citizenship, political values, but also on current issues such as climate change, current economy and politics, etc. [[Eurobarometer]] analyses seek to provide an overall picture of national situations, regional specificities, socio-demographic cleavages, and historical trends.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/en/20161110PVL00113/Eurobarometer|title=Parlemeter 2016|website=europarl.europa.eu|access-date=23 May 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.it/it/scoprire-l-europa/eurobarometro-i-sondaggi-d-opinione-del-pe?webaction=view.acceptCookies|title=Eurobarometro: i sondaggi d'opinione del PE|website=europarl.it|access-date=23 May 2017|language=it}}</ref>

==Prizes==
===Sakharov Prize===
[[File:Remise du Prix Sakharov à Aung San Suu Kyi Strasbourg 22 octobre 2013-11.jpg|right|thumb|The ceremony of the [[Sakharov Prize]] awarded to [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] by [[Martin Schulz]], in 2013]]
With the [[Sakharov Prize]], created in 1988, the European Parliament supports human rights by awarding individuals that contribute to promoting human rights worldwide, thus raising awareness on human rights violations. Priorities include: protection of human rights and fundamental liberties, with particular focus on freedom of expression; protection of minority rights; compliance with international law; and development of democracy and authentic rule of law.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu-3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/it/20150201PVL00043/Premi|title=Premi|website=europarl.europa.eu|access-date=23 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sakharovprize/it/home/the-prize.html|title=Il Parlamento europeo sostiene i diritti umani|website=europarl.europa.eu|access-date=23 May 2017|language=it|archive-date=21 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521050536/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sakharovprize/it/home/the-prize.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===European Charlemagne Youth Prize===

The [[European Charlemagne Youth Prize]] seeks to encourage youth participation in the European integration process. It is awarded by the European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen to youth projects aimed at nurturing common European identity and European citizenship.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu-3" />

===European Citizens' Prize===

The [[European Citizens' Prize]] is awarded by the European Parliament to activities and actions carried out by citizens and associations to promote integration between the citizens of EU member states and transnational cooperation projects in the EU.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu-3" />

===LUX Prize===

Since 2007, the [[LUX Prize]] is awarded by the European Parliament to films dealing with current topics of public European interest that encourage reflection on Europe and its future. Over time, the Lux Prize has become a prestigious cinema award which supports European film and production also outside the EU.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.luxprize.eu/why-and-what|title=Lux Prize. About|website=luxprize.eu|language=en|access-date=24 May 2017|archive-date=5 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205023843/https://luxprize.eu/why-and-what|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Daphne Caruana Galizia Journalism Prize===

From 2021, the Daphne Caruana Galizia Journalism prize shall be awarded by the European Parliament to outstanding journalism that reflect EU values. The prize consists in an award of 20,000 euros. This award is named after the late Maltese journalist, [[Daphne Caruana Galizia]] who was assassinated in Malta on 16 October 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20201009STO88911/parliament-launches-the-daphne-caruana-galizia-journalism-prize|date=16 October 2020|title=Parliament launches the Daphne Caruana Galizia journalism prize|website=europarl.europa.eu|access-date=5 November 2020}}</ref> In October 2021 the prize was first awarded to the [[Pegasus Project (investigation)|Pegasus Project]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=16 October 2020|title=Daphne Caruana Galizia journalism prize goes to Pegasus Project |publisher=European Parliament|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20201009STO88911/daphne-caruana-galizia-journalism-prize-goes-to-pegasus-project|access-date=23 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Parlamentarium]]
* [[State of the Union address (European Union)]]
* [[Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last=Attwool |first=Elspeth |author-link=Elspeth Attwooll |title=To the Power of Ten: UK Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament (Centre for Reform Papers) |publisher=[[Open Europe]] |year=2000 |isbn=978-1-902622-17-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Butler |first=David |author-link=David Butler (academic) |author2=Martin Westlake |title=British Politics and European Election |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |year=2005 |location=London |isbn=978-1-4039-3585-4 }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Corbett |first1=Richard |author-link=Richard Corbett |last2=Jacobs |first2=Francis |last3=Shackleton |first3=Michael |title=The European Parliament |edition=9th |publisher=John Harper Publishing |date=2016 |location=London |isbn=978-0-9564508-5-2}} The same three co-authors have written every edition since the first in 1990.
* {{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Corbett |title=The European Parliament's Role in Closer EU Integration |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |date=June 1998 |location=LBasingstoke |isbn=978-0333722527 }}
* {{cite book |last=Farrell |first=David |author2=Roger Scully |title=Representing Europe's Citizens?: Electoral Institutions and the Failure of Parliamentary Representation |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-19-928502-0 |author2-link=Roger Scully }}
* {{cite journal |last=Gazzola |first=Michele |title=Managing Multilingualism in the European Union: Language Policy Evaluation for the European Parliament |journal=Language Policy |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=393–417 |year=2006 |doi=10.1007/s10993-006-9032-5 |s2cid=53576362 |url=https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:110594 }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Hix |first1=Simon |last2=Noury |first2=Abdul |last3=Roland |first3=Gérard |title=Democratic Politics in the European Parliament (Themes in European Governance) |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2007 |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-521-69460-5 }} ([http://emlab.berkeley.edu/users/groland/pubs/HNR-Democracy_in_the_EP-11July05.pdf draft version on-line])
* {{cite journal |last1=Hix |first1=Simon |last2=Noury |first2=Abdul |last3=Roland |first3=Gérard |title=Dimensions of politics in the European Parliament |journal=[[American Journal of Political Science]] |volume=50 |issue=2 |pages=494–520 |doi=10.1111/j.1540-5907.2006.00198.x |jstor=3694286 |date=April 2006 |s2cid=56074538 |url=http://personal.lse.ac.uk/hix/Working_Papers/Hix_et_al_ajps_2006.pdf |access-date=27 February 2016 |archive-date=1 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301120342/https://personal.lse.ac.uk/hix/Working_Papers/Hix_et_al_ajps_2006.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book |last=Hoskyns |first=Catherine |author2=Michael Newman |title=Democratizing the European Union: Issues for the twenty-first Century (Perspectives on Democratization) |publisher=[[Manchester University Press]] |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-7190-5666-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Kreppel |first=Amie |title=The European Parliament and Supranational Party System: A Study in Institutional Development (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics) |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2001 |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-521-00079-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Van der Laan |first=Lousewies |author-link=Lousewies van der Laan |title=The Case For a Stronger European Parliament |publisher=Centre for European Reform |date=2003 |location=London |isbn=978-1-901229-49-3 }}
* {{cite book |last=Lodge |first=Juliet |title=The 2004 Elections to the European Parliament |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |date=23 June 2005 |location=London |isbn=978-1-4039-3518-2 }}
* Lodge, Juliet, ed. ''The 2009 Elections to the European Parliament'' (Palgrave Macmillan; 2011) 327 pages
* {{cite book |last1=Maier |first1=Michaela |last2=Tenscher |first2=Jens |title=Campaigning in Europe, Campaigning for Europe: Political Parties, Campaigns, Mass Media and the European Parliament Elections 2004 (Medien) |publisher=Lit Verlag |year=2006 |isbn=978-3-8258-9322-4 }}
* {{cite book |last=Rittberger |first=Berthold |title=Building Europe's Parliament: Democratic Representation Beyond the Nation State |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-19-923199-7 }}
* Sabbati, Giulio (2015). [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2015)545725 ''European Parliament: Facts and Figures'']. European Parliament – [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/en/20150201PVL00031/European-Parliamentary-Research-Service European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS)].
* {{cite book |last=Schmitter |first=Philippe |title=How to Democratize the EU&nbsp;... and Why Bother? (Governance in Europe) |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] Publishers |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-8476-9905-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=[[Roger Scully|Scully]] |first=Roger |title=Becoming European?: Attitudes, Behaviour, and Socialization in the European Parliament |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-19-928432-0 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Serodes |first1=Fabrice |first2=Michel|last2=Heinz|others=Foreword by Martin Schulz |title=Le Parlement européen |publisher=Nane Editions |year=2013 |location=Paris |isbn=978-2-84368-100-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Julie |title=Europe's Elected Parliament (Contemporary European Studies) |publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]] |year=1999 |location=London |isbn=978-0-333-59874-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/europeanparliame0000judg }}
* {{cite book |last=Steuenberg |first=Bernard |author2=Jacques Thomassen |author-link2=Jacques Thomassen |title=The European Parliament on the Move: Toward Parliamentary Democracy in Europe (Governance in Europe) |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] Publishers |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-7425-0126-3 }}
* Dick Toornstra; Christian Meseth (2012). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130511175820/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/oppd/Page_1/OPPD_EP_GUIDE_for_webFINAL_EN.pdf ''Inside the European Parliament: A guide to its parliamentary and administrative structures'']. European Parliament – [https://archive.today/20130412152839/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oppd/ Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy (OPPD)].
* {{cite book |last=Watson |first=Graham |author-link=Graham Watson |title=EU've Got Mail!: Liberal Letters from the European Parliament |publisher=Bagehot Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-9545745-1-2 }}
* {{cite book |author1=Wood, David M. |author2=Birol A. Yesilada |title=The Emerging European Union (4th Ed.) |publisher=Pearson Longman |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-321-43941-3 }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
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{{Wikisourcecat}}
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* {{official website}}

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