The EU Parliament
What is the European Parliament ?
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent the 370 million citizens of Europe from all 27 Member States and help ensure democratic control over the running of the European Union.
The European Parliament was elected by direct universal suffrage for the first time in 1979. Elections take place every five years. The next European election is in June 2004.
The European Parliament meets and debates in public. Its 626 Members, including 87 from the UK, meet for one week a month in Strasburg in plenary session, occasionally in Brussels for shorter plenary sessions, as well as for committee meetings in Brussels during intervening weeks.
What Issues does an MEP deal with ?
MEPs scrutinize, amend and vote draft legislation. They also approve the annual EU budget, question Ministers and Commissioners, debate issues affecting the European Union and draw attention to the problems of their constituents.
The European Parliament has seen its powers grow considerably over the last two decades. It now has co-decision powers with the Council of Ministers and a veto in many areas of EU law. It has final say over the level and composition of EU spending other than CAP. I votes to appoint and can dismiss the European Commision.
MEPs have an important say in a wide range of Community legislation that has a direct effect on citizens of the Union. This includes the environment, trade, transport, energy and research policy, consumer protection, equal opportunities, regional policy, educational and cultural matters and the EU budget which supports many projects in the UK
The EU Institutions
The European Parliament - the only elected multinational institution in the world - is one of eight main bodies in the European Union. The seven others are listed below.
The European Council, comprising the heads of government of the 27 EU member states, meets at leaset once every six months and decides the central direction of EU policy.
The European Commission, puts forward legislative proposals and implements legislation adopted. The Commission is the executive of the EU and is run by a college of Commissioners, picked jointly by the President of the Commission and national governments for a five year period, and approved by the European Parliament. The current European Commission, under its President, Romano Prodi, will run until 2005. Its British members are Neil Kinnock and Chris Patten.
The Council of Ministers, comprising government ministers from the 27 EU member states, adopts legislation in its final form. Unanimity among the member states applies in certain highly sensitive fields - for example, tax harmonization, revenue raising, institutional changes and most decisions on foreign and security policy (CFSP). Qualified majority voting (QMV) applies in many areas, such as single market, transport, environment, agriculture, trade policy and social policy.
The European Court of Justice adjudicates on the interpretation and application of the Treaties and EU laws.
The Court of Auditors audits spending by other EU institutions.
The Committee of the Regions, comprising regional and local representatives nominated by the 27 EU governments, advises the other institutions on legislative proposals.
The Economic and Social Committee, comprising representatives of business, trades-union, farming and consumer interests, nominated by the 27 EU governments, advises the other institutions on legislative proposals.
The power and roles of the various EU bodies, including the European Parliament, were originally set out in the 1957 Treaty of Rome. They have since been elaborated by the 1987 Single European act, the 1993 Maastricht Treaty and the 1999 Amsterdam Treaty.
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