The European Parliament

Contents
■ Welcome to the European Parliament! 3

■ The European Parliament — working for you 5

■ Managing the European purse 9

■ Guardian of liberties and democracy 13

■ The European Parliament on the world stage 19

■ Defending human rights 23

■ How the European Parliament works 27

■ An office near you 31

■ Co-decision: how it works 35

■ How the EU budget is adopted 38

■ EU keywords 39

■ Milestones in European integration 45

■ European Parliament addresses 48

2
 Welcome to the
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the parliament which represents
Europe’s citizens. It is a place where lively political debates are
held. Since the first direct elections in 1979, it has gained more
and more parliamentary powers, particularly as a co-legislator
and budgetary authority. Parliament exercises these powers
in the interests and for the benefit of Europe’s citizens and to
shape our common future.

I wish you an interesting read.

Hans-Gert Pöttering
President of the European Parliament
3
 The European Parliament is the only multinational parliamentary assembly in the world
elected by universal suffrage and, since June 1979, the European Union’s only directly
elected institution. Elections are held every five years and the number of Members has in-
creased in line with the successive enlargements of the EU. In 2007, Parliament had 785
Members from 27 countries, sitting in groups formed on the basis of political affiliation
wElcomE To THE EUropEAn pArliAmEnT

rather than nationality. The election to be held in June 2009 will mark the 30th anniversary
of European elections by universal suffrage.

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

An increasingly important role

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

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

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

The most recent revision of the treaties, agreed at the European Council meeting held in Lisbon
in December 2007, further increases Parliament’s powers in many areas. If you want your views
to be taken into account, vote in the next European elections.
4
■ The European
Parliament —
working for you
All of us, whatever our situation, young or not so young,
students, workers or pensioners, and certainly as con-
sumers, are affected by European laws, sometimes with-
out realising it. Healthier food on our plates, freedom
of movement and freedom to work anywhere in the EU,
protection of the environment — in many areas Europe’s
elected representatives play a crucial role.

In common with all parliaments, the European Parliament de-

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

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

And before a European law can be applied in the EU’s Member

States, it must first be signed by the President of the European
Parliament and the President of the Council.
5
 ■ mobile phones: cheaper to use abroad

Have you noticed? Your mobile phone bills are lower when
you come back from holiday abroad. European rules which
came into force in early summer 2007 have imposed ceilings
with a view to gradually reducing the additional costs in-
THE EUropEAn pArliAmEnT — working for yoU

curred for calls made or received in another EU country. After

lengthy discussions with industry ministers, MEPs secured an
agreement stipulating that, from 2009, these roaming charg-
es will not in future exceed EUR 0.43 per minute for outgoing
calls and EUR 0.19 per minute for incoming calls.

The European parliament, a fully-fledged legislator

Co-decision is the legislative procedure currently used for the

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

For example, MEPs have helped make it easier to have pro-

fessional qualifications recognised in other Member States,
meaning that today it is far easier than it once was to pursue
a profession in another EU country. MEPs have been involved
in developing stricter product safety and labelling standards,
so that in the supermarket it is now easier to choose between
products coming from all over Europe. European consumers are
largely sceptical about genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
and Parliament has contributed to the adoption of very strict
rules concerning labelling: everyone can now choose and pur-
chase food products with or without GMOs in full knowledge
of the facts.
6
The European Parliament has enhanced the rights of air passen-
gers, not least for the elderly and for people with reduced mo-
bility, who can now obtain assistance both at the airport and on
board their aeroplane. It has supported measures to step up the

The European Parliament — working for you

fight against fraudulent commercial practices throughout the
European Union, and helped to draw up rules to make cross-
border payments easier and safer.

Come the summertime, what could be more pleasant than a re-

freshing swim in the sea or a lake? You can be sure that the water
is cleaner than before thanks to European standards which were
made stricter as a result of action by the European Parliament.

■ MEPs at your service

If you are a service provider — a tourist guide, perhaps, or a

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

MEPs showing initiative

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

MEPs have the right to make policy initiatives by suggesting to

the Commission that it should submit a legislative proposal on
a particular subject. They regularly ask the Commission and the
Council to develop existing policies or devise new ones.
7
 For example, it was the European Parliament which asked the
Commission to submit a draft law regulating and facilitating
transnational inheritance procedures. It encouraged the adop-
tion of a European private company statute to help small- and
THE EUropEAn pArliAmEnT — working for yoU

medium-sized firms operate in Member States other than their

own. In both cases MEPs made detailed recommendations on
how to implement the relevant legislation.

do you want your opinions to be taken into

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

Under the revised treaties, it will be possible for one million citi-
zens to come together to ask the EU to propose new laws.

■ Using chemicals in complete safety

Chemical products are everywhere in our lives. While there

is no doubting their usefulness, questions persist over their
safety for our health and for the environment. Recognising
this, the EU has adopted a regulation (called ‘REACH’) requir-
ing a reassessment of the thousands of chemical products on
the market and the withdrawal of the most dangerous ones.
Thanks to MEPs’ persistence, the emphasis was put on devel-
oping new and less harmful substances, and in so doing mini-
mising the use of animal testing.
8

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

page 35.
n Managing the
European purse
New motorways, cleaner beaches, medical research,
studying abroad: we all benefit in one way or another
from activities funded by the European Union. And who
decides on the framework for programmes and actions
to be financed at European level? Answer: the European
Parliament does, with the agreement of the Member
States’ governments. Here are some examples of activ-
ities supported by your MEPs.

Every year MEPs spend long months negotiating with the Coun-
cil, on the basis of proposals from the Commission, to fix the
Union’s expenditure for the following year. The budget finally
agreed on, which must comply with multiannual ceilings, is
important because it determines the level of financial support
given by the EU in all its areas of activity to ensure solidarity,
sustainable economic growth and social cohesion. Parliament
has the power to reject the budget and demand a new draft if
it does not believe sufficient consideration has been given to
its priorities. 9
 where does the community’s money go?
Financial framework 2007–2013 (rounded figures)
Sustainable growth: regional Conservation and
economic development, management of natural
action to promote growth, resources: agriculture,
mAnAging THE EUropEAn pUrSE

competitiveness and sustainable development and

employment the environment
382 Mrd EUR (44 %) 371 Mrd EUR (43 %)

The EU as a global player: Citizenship, freedom, security

external action, development
policy, humanitarian aid
49 Mrd EUR (6 %)
Other expenditure, including
administration
51 Mrd EUR (6 %)
and justice: protection of citizens’
rights, free movement of people,
police and judicial cooperation,
combating terrorism
11 Mrd EUR (1 %)

promoting sustainable economic development …

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

However, with the European Parliament’s support, other areas

are growing in importance, such as preservation of the environ-
ment, particularly through the creation of regional natural parks,
the conservation of protected species, the management of
water resources and efforts to combat climate change.
10
Some of the EU budget is spent on funding economic develop-
ment in other parts of the world and on humanitarian aid to
help countries afflicted by natural disasters and crises.

Managing the European purse

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

In recent years MEPs have made use of their powers to expand

programmes promoting European cultural diversity and to en-
courage the distribution of artistic and cultural products and
works in areas such as cinema, music, painting, photography
and theatre.

Investing in the future

The European Parliament has a say on the multiannual financial
framework, which sets the expenditure ceilings in each area of
EU policy. For example, during the negotiation of the framework
for the period up until 2013, MEPs had to fight hard with the
Member States to secure additional funding for projects which
European citizens see as important; projects such as the Erasmus
programme, which every year enables over 150 000 students to
study at a foreign university, European transport networks and,
more generally, research and innovation.
11
 ■ where does the community’s money come from?

The EU budget is financed mainly by contributions from

the Member States calculated on the basis of their national
wealth, but some money comes from part of the VAT levied
throughout the EU on goods and services and from customs
mAnAging THE EUropEAn pUrSE

duties levied at the Union’s external borders on industrial and

agricultural products imported from outside the EU. Parlia-
ment is pushing for a new system of financing that would
establish a direct link between the European Union and Euro-
pean taxpayers, without, however, increasing their taxes.

Expenditure under the microscope

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

Each year the European Commission and the other EU institutions

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

■ is the EU expensive?

Barely 1 % of the Union’s gross national income, equivalent

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

For more information, see the section ‘How the EU budget is adopted’,
12

page 38.
■ Guardian of liberties
and democracy
As the only elected institution of the European Union,
Parliament takes very seriously its role as a guardian of
liberties and democracy, both in Europe and throughout
the world. The MEPs’ task is primarily to represent citizens
at European level and pass on their views to EU leaders
and the institutions of the Union.

The European Charter of Fundamental Rights brings together

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

With the principle of human dignity at the core of their political

action, MEPs invoke this Charter whenever they condemn hu-
man rights violations in the European Union.

Parliament is particularly sensitive to the issue of tolerance, and

fights determinedly against all forms of discrimination, whether
on the basis of sex, race, ethnic or social origin, language, re-
ligion, political opinion, disability, age or sexual orientation. It
takes a stand against racism and xenophobia, never misses an
13
 opportunity to highlight the need for compliance with Euro-
pean gender equality standards and uses its power to ensure
that the rights of people with disabilities are respected.
gUArdiAn of libErTiES And dEmocrAcy

■ combating all forms of exploitation of women

Efforts to combat all forms of violence against women, com-

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

protecting freedoms in all circumstances

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

MEPs believe that the fight against terrorism must respect indi-
vidual freedoms, so as not to jeopardise the core values of Euro-
14

pean democracy. This is their constant message on every issue

they deal with in this area, from agreements with the United
States on the transfer of air passengers’ personal data, to call-
data retention by telephone companies or the exchange of bank
transfer data. MEPs also supported the revision of the money

Guardian of liberties and democracy

laundering directive to cover the financing of terrorism.

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

pean Fundamental Rights Agency, which is based in Vienna and
is responsible for ensuring that fundamental rights are protected
in the Member States. It liaises closely with the European Data
Protection Supervisor, whose role is to monitor the protection of
personal data and privacy throughout the Union.

Replying to petitions from citizens

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

State may, individually or in association with others, submit a
petition to the European Parliament on a subject which comes
within the European Union’s fields of activity and which affects
them directly. The petition may present an individual request, a
complaint or observation concerning the application of EU law
or an appeal to the European Parliament to adopt a position on
a specific matter.

Many petitions highlight difficulties in connection with the ap-

plication of existing EU directives, notably in the areas of the
environment, social security, recognition of qualifications and
some aspects of the functioning of the EU single market. Gener-
ally, they bear witness to problems encountered by citizens with
the way in which EU legislation combines with national law or
with the incorrect interpretation of the areas in which EU law
applies. Parliament helps to resolve these problems.
15

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

 ■ Silicone implants: petitions lead to stricter
legislation

Two petitions were submitted to the European Parliament

in 1998 highlighting the negative health effects of silicone
breast implants and calling for them to be banned immedi-
gUArdiAn of libErTiES And dEmocrAcy

ately. The ensuing debates in Parliament, its resolutions on the

subject and a study commissioned by MEPs led the Commis-
sion to clarify and strengthen the provisions on information
for patients, tracking and surveillance. A directive adopted in
2003 substantially enhanced the quality and safety checks to
be carried out before breast implants can be placed on the
European market.

Supervising the European commission

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

Parliament votes to approve the Commission en bloc in a vote

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

Moreover, Parliament keeps a close eye on the Commission’s

work, scrutinising the provisions of its reports on EU policies,
legislation and the budget. Commissioners are often required
16

to appear before MEPs, at committee meetings or in plenary,

to defend their policies, explain what action they intend to take
and answer questions.

Guardian of liberties and democracy

■ The Ombudsman

Parliament elects an Ombudsman to examine cases of mal-

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

Keeping an eye on the Council’s work

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

At a plenary session or in writing, MEPs may put questions to the

Council Presidency on any topic, including the need for urgent
action to remedy breaches of human rights, democracy and the
rule of law.
17
 ■ And the euro?

MEPs scrutinise the management of Europe’s single currency

by inviting the President of the European Central Bank (ECB)
to come and explain his policies before its Economic and
Monetary Affairs Committee. Moreover, the ECB President
gUArdiAn of libErTiES And dEmocrAcy

and all the other members of the executive board must be

approved by Parliament.

cooperating closely with national parliaments

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

The reform of the Treaties includes provisions designed to in-

volve the national parliaments even more closely in the institu-
tional process.
18
■ The European
Parliament on the world
stage
The European Parliament is making its influence increas-
ingly felt in EU foreign policy. Its approval is required for
new countries to join the European Union and most of the
EU’s international agreements must be approved by MEPs.
By promoting joint parliamentary assemblies MEPs main-
tain close links with lawmakers around the world, and the
European Parliament’s chamber is an important stage for
international leaders and other eminent persons.

A major role in any enlargement

of the European Union
The European Union cannot accept new Member States with-
out the European Parliament’s assent. It is up to the Council and
the Commission to negotiate with the applicant countries and
to set the date of accession, but MEPs monitor the procedure
until the very day of the accession to make sure that all the con-
ditions for membership of the EU are met. Before a country can
join, MEPs must vote on whether it has met the strict criteria
governing European Union membership.
19
 ■ The EU: from 6 member States to 27

March 1957 Belgium, West Germany, France, Italy,

Luxembourg and the Netherlands

January 1973 Denmark, Ireland and the United

THE EUropEAn pArliAmEnT on THE world STAgE

Kingdom

January 1981 Greece

January 1986 Spain and Portugal

November 1990 Reunification of Germany, integration of

former GDR

January 1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden

May 2004 Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia,

Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland,
Slovenia and Slovakia

January 2007 Bulgaria and Romania

no international agreements
without the European parliament
MEPs’ assent is required for most of the international agreements
which the EU enters into — a number of financial protocols with
non-EU countries have been rejected by Parliament on human
rights grounds. Furthermore, MEPs make recommendations to
the Commission concerning the trade negotiations conducted
under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and
those recommendations carry a great deal of weight as Parlia-
ment has to approve the outcome of negotiations in the WTO.
20
EU foreign policy closely scrutinised by MEPs
Parliament is consulted by the Council on major foreign-policy
decisions. MEPs can ask questions about the Council’s policies
and make recommendations. The Union’s High Representative
for the Common Foreign and Security Policy is regularly invited

The European Parliament on the world stage

to report to plenary on the EU’s activities around the world. In
development policy, MEPs give priority to fighting poverty and
promoting good governance, democracy and human rights.

The European Parliament is constantly working to build political,

economic and cultural links with other parliaments around the
world. Members participate in the African, Caribbean, Pacific/EU
Joint Parliamentary Assembly (ACP/EU); the EuroMed Parlia-
mentary Assembly (EMPA), including the Palestinian Authority
and Israel; and the Euro-Latin American Assembly (EuroLat).
H U M A N
R I G H T S

21
 leaders from around the world received at the
European parliament
The European Parliament regularly invites heads of state, prime
ministers and other eminent persons from around the world
to address MEPs at a plenary session. In recent years visitors
THE EUropEAn pArliAmEnT on THE world STAgE

to Parliament have included President Viktor Yushchenko of

Ukraine, President Evo Morales of Bolivia, President Ellen John-
son Sirleaf of Liberia, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan,
President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, Prime
Minister Fouad Siniora of Lebanon, President Gloria Macapa-
gal-Arroyo of the Philippines, the Emir of Qatar Hamad Bin
Khalifa Al Than and President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia.
22
■ Defending human
rights
In Europe and around the world, Parliament acts to up-
hold human rights, freedoms and democracy. It sends ob-
servers to the four corners of the planet to monitor elec-
tions for irregularities. MEPs ensure that human rights are
protected in the EU’s external economic and trade agree-
ments, and each year they award the Sakharov Prize to
people who fight for freedom of thought.

Parliament ensures that human rights issues are at the top of

the European agenda. It takes specific initiatives in a range of
areas, such as preventing torture, the protection of minorities,
conflict prevention, promoting women’s and children’s rights,
the protection of human rights activists and the rights of in-
digenous peoples. Parliament actively supports the establish-
ment and work of international tribunals, such as the Interna-
tional Criminal Court or the tribunals specially set up to judge
the perpetrators of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and
Rwanda. 23
 condemning violations of human rights
At each plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs review the human
rights situation in various parts of the world. Parliament regu-
larly adopts resolutions calling on the EU institutions or govern-
ments to take immediate action to put an end to violations of
dEfEnding HUmAn rigHTS

fundamental rights.

Parliament publishes an annual report on the human rights situ-

ation around the world. In these reports it has condemned, for
example, the genocide in Darfur, violations of freedoms in China
and the crimes committed in Chechnya.

■ parliament strongly opposed to the death

penalty

The European Parliament strongly condemns the use of the

death penalty in all cases and under all circumstances. Its
members have repeatedly called for a worldwide, uncondi-
tional moratorium on executions, to be established through
a UN resolution. They believe this would contribute to the
enhancement of human dignity and to the progressive de-
velopment of human rights. Parliament condemned, for in-
stance, the verdict of the Libyan court sentencing to death
five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor.
24
Guaranteeing democratic elections
Groups of MEPs are often sent on election observation missions
to non-EU countries. They monitor the entire election process
and draw any breaches of citizens’ rights to the attention of the
relevant authorities and the international community. MEPs

Defending human rights

have, for example, participated in election observation missions
to Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and the
Palestinian Territories.

Ensuring that international agreements take

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

25
Y
 parliament’s Sakharov prize
for freedom of Thought
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, named after Rus-
sian scientist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, is intended
to honour exceptional individuals or organisations who defend
dEfEnding HUmAn rigHTS

human rights, democracy and freedom of expression and com-

bat intolerance and oppression anywhere in the world.

Established in 1988, the Prize is awarded each year by the Euro-

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

Previous winners include Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Alex-

ander Dubček (Czechoslovakia), Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo
(Argentina), Wei Jingsheng (China), Ibrahim Rugova (Kosovo),
and the United Nations Organisation and its former Secretary-
General, Kofi Annan.
26
■ How the European
Parliament works
Life and work in the European Parliament are reflected
in a calendar divided up into different coloured weeks:
pink, red, blue and turquoise, each corresponding to a
different type of parliamentary activity. For the work to
proceed smoothly there needs to be good organisation
and administrative support. The machinery runs well,
everyone knows their role and nothing is left to chance.

Pink weeks for the parliamentary committees

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

In committee meetings MEPs hold a series of debates and votes

on reports, thereby expressing their opinion on proposed laws
or on the draft EU budget for the following year. They draw up
‘own-initiative reports’ in which they recommend action to be
taken in a particular area by the Commission or the Member
State governments.
27
 ■ waste ships, the ciA, mad cows: mEps investigate

If necessary, Parliament can set up temporary committees

and committees of inquiry. For example, following the sink-
ing of the oil tanker Prestige, MEPs set up a committee in
2003 to look into ways of improving maritime safety. In 2006
How THE EUropEAn pArliAmEnT workS

a committee investigated the CIA’s activities in Europe follow-

ing press revelations about the extraordinary rendition and
illegal detention of suspected terrorists in a number of Euro-
pean countries by the US secret services. Ten years earlier a
committee of inquiry had been asked to check whether the
Commission and the governments had properly handled the
‘mad cow disease’ epidemic.

red weeks for plenary sessions

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

Other than reports, MEPs adopt resolutions and directly ques-

tion Commission or Council representatives on topical issues.
Plenary sessions may be attended by heads of state and emi-
nent persons from all over the world.

blue weeks for the political groups

MEPs form groups on the basis of political affiliation rather than
nationality. A minimum number of MEPs from at least one fifth
of the Member States is required to form a political group, a re-
quirement which does not prevent all political tendencies from
being represented, from the most fervent advocates of European
28
integration to the most

W
Eurosceptical. MEPs who do 01 02 03
1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 14

not belong to any group are 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 3 10 17 24 31

1
2 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 4 11 18 25
3 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 5 12 19 26
4 3 10 17 24 31 7 14 21 28 6 13 20 27

known as ‘non-attached’.

E
5 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 7 14 21 28
6 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 1 8 15 22 29
7 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 2 9 16 23 30
04 05 06
14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27

How THE EUropEAn pArliAmEnT workS

1 7 14 21 28 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30
2 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24

During ‘group weeks’, which

3 2 9 16 23 30 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25
4 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26
5 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27
6 5 12 19 26 3 10 17 24 31 7 14 21 28

E
generally come the week
7 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29
07 08 09
27 28 29 30 31 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
1 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29

before plenary sessions, 2

3
4
1
2
3
8
9
10
15
16
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23
24
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30
31
5
6
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13
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26
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2
3
4
9
10
11
16
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23 30
24
25
5 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26

each political group coor- 6

7
5
6
12
13
19
20
26
27
2
3
9
10
16
17
23
24
30
31
6
7
13
14
20
21
27
28

K
10 11 12
dinates and formulates the
40 41 42 43 44 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 1
1 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22 29
2 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30
3 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 3 10 17 24 31

positions it will take in the 4

5
6
2
3
4
9
10
11
16
17
18
23
24
25
30
31
1
6
7
8
13
14
15
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27
28
29
4
5
6
11
12
13
18
19
20
25
26
27
7 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 7 14 21 28

assembly on each of the

S
subjects on the agenda.

Turquoise weeks: mEps in their constituencies or

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

■ what language do you speak?

All Parliament’s plenary sittings and meetings are fully multi-

ingual: members can speak in any official language of the
EU, and everything they say is simultaneously interpreted.
Thanks to the translation service, Parliament’s working docu-
ments are available in all official languages of the European
Union, reflecting and promoting its cultural diversity and
29

making MEPs’ work accessible to everyone.

 who does what in the European parliament?
Elected by the MEPs to serve a two-and-a-half-year term, the
President of the European Parliament plays a key role: he or she
directs Parliament’s activities, chairs plenary sittings and signs
the budget and laws adopted together with the Council. The
How THE EUropEAn pArliAmEnT workS

President represents Parliament in the outside world and in its

relations with the other EU institutions. Parliament elects 14
Vice-Presidents, each with a specific area of responsibility.

The Conference of Presidents is made up of the chairmen of the

political groups and the President of the European Parliament. It
organises and schedules the work of Parliament, including the
calendar of and agendas for plenary sessions and the compo-
sition of committees and delegations.

The Bureau is the body responsible for dealing with Parliament’s

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

MEPs and Parliament are assisted by a large administration. The

Secretariat has the task of coordinating the legislative work and
organising plenary sittings and other meetings. It consists of
almost 5 000 people — a third of whom are translators and in-
terpreters — who work in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg
and in the information offices. Adding the staff of the political
groups, about 6 000 people altogether keep Parliament’s wheels
turning.
30
■ An office near you
brussels, luxembourg and Strasbourg are the European
parliament’s ‘places of work’, but you can keep an eye on its
activities wherever you are. from your computer you can
follow a plenary sitting, consult documents and press re-
leases and ask Europe-related questions on line. not only
that, but there are information offices at your service in all
the EU’s capital cities.

The website: a window on the European parliament

Parliament’s website — the address is easy to remember:
www.europarl.europa.eu — contains a mine of interesting
information in all the official languages. Whether you want to
know about Parliament’s most recent work, follow plenary de-
bates and votes as they happen, get to know who MEPs are and
find out what they do, submit a petition, or simply discover how
an institution representing close to 500 million people works —
it’s all on the website.
I
N
T
E
R
N
E

31
T
 To ensure that its work is known and understood by the public,
Parliament provides access to its documents via an online regis-
ter. Historical archives are also available.
An officE nEAr yoU

Any questions?
drop a line to parliament’s mailbox
Parliament’s website is certainly comprehensive, but it is some-
times difficult to find your way through the EU labyrinth. So the
European Parliament provides a mailbox to which anyone can
send questions, requests for information or suggestions concern-
ing areas of EU activity. Each year Parliament replies to around
15 000 messages from the public.

As well informed as the journalists

The media offers important tools for bringing citizens closer to
the institutions representing them. Parliament has a Press Service
which informs journalists about the day’s parliamentary debates
and the outcome of votes. This information is available to the
public in real time on Parliament’s multilingual website. Journal-
ists can make use of logistical and technical support and audio-
visual material (photos, videos, audio archives, etc.). In addition,
the Press Service organises press conferences and seminars on
topical European issues.
32
Visiting Parliament
Perhaps you have found a lot of information on the Internet and
now you’d like to see in practice how the European Parliament
works and what it does for you. Nearly 250 000 people visit Par-
liament’s places of work in Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg

An office near you

each year, either individually or in groups, to attend plenary sit-
tings and meet their MEPs. If you would like to gain a deeper
insight into the workings and role of the European Parliament
and have your questions answered, all you have to do is contact
the Visits and Seminars Unit, which organises year-round visits in
all the EU’s official languages.

Information offices providing

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

The information offices distribute publications and other mate-

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

The information offices are behind a series of forums at which

MEPs, local authorities, individual citizens and representatives
of various occupations debate the major issues concerning the
future of Europe. They organise meetings between MEPs and
national authorities, the press and the public.
33
 ■ debates intended to bring citizens closer to the
European Union

In the context of the ‘period of reflection’ following the

French and Dutch rejections of the draft European Constitu-
tion, the European Parliament recommended a series of ini-
An officE nEAr yoU

tiatives to help bridge the gap between the EU institutions

and the public. As part of that process, MEPs called for a
number of conferences and meetings to be held at local and
national levels — called citizens’ forums and parliamentary
forums — as a way of moving discussion on the future of the
EU forward by focusing on subjects of common interest.

contacting your mEp

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

The names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses

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

Addresses of the Service for Citizens’ Correspondence, of the Visits

and Seminars Unit and of the Information Offices can be found on
pages 48–51.
34
■ Co-decision: how it works

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

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

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

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

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

If, on the other hand, MEPs propose amendments to the Common Position, consensus must
be reached in a third reading. This task is given to a special committee, known as a Conciliation
Committee, composed of representatives of the two institutions. The Commission is involved
throughout the procedure. If agreement is reached the draft can become law, if not then the
proposal falls.
35
 first reading
The Commission ➊ presents a legislative proposal to Parlia-
a
ment ➋ and the Council ➌ simultaneously. Parliament adopts
amendments ➍ and submits them to the Council. If the Coun-
a cil agrees with the outcome of Parliament’s first reading the leg-
co-dEciSion: How iT workS

islative text is adopted ➎.

a

L ex

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

ab
Third reading
The Conciliation Committee adopts a joint text ➋ based
abc on the common position and the EP’s second reading amend-
ments. If the Council and Parliament ➌ approve the joint text
in its entirety, the act ➍ is adopted. If the Conciliation Commit-
tee cannot agree on a joint text, or if Parliament or the Council
L ex L ex does not approve it, the act ➎ is deemed not to have been
adopted.
36
The other legislative procedures
In the consultation procedure Parliament is simply asked for its opinion on proposed legislation
before it is adopted by the Council. This is the procedure applied in areas such as competition,
and taxation and for revision of the treaties.

co-dEciSion: How iT workS

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

37
 ■ How the EU budget
is adopted
Each spring the Commission submits a preliminary draft budget for the following year. An initial
vote is taken by the Council, representing the Member States, on this preliminary draft in the sum-
mer, and Parliament has its first reading in early autumn.

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

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

COMMISSION ■ Preliminary draft budget in April/May (PDB)

COUNCIL ■ Draft budget in July (qualified majority)
PARLIAMENT ■ 1st reading of draft budget in October
Amendments concerning non-compulsory expenditure Proposed modifications concerning compulsory expenditure
COUNCIL 2nd reading of the amendments/modifications
YES NO YES NO
Qualified majority Qualified majority
The Council takes a decision
PARLIAMENT 2nd reading of non-compulsory expenditure in December
YES NO
Amount and 1st reading/new amount
remarks adopted (Majority of Members + 3/5 of votes cast)
38

Majority of Members and 2/3 majority of votes cast: can reject the budget
■ EU keywords
Accession criteria (Copenhagen criteria)

Any country seeking membership of the European Union must conform to the conditions laid
down in the Treaty on European Union. Relevant criteria were established by the Copenhagen
European Council in 1993 and subsequently strengthened.

To join the EU, a new Member State must meet three criteria:

— political: stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and
respect for and protection of minorities;
— economic: existence of a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with com-
petitive pressure and market forces within the Union;
— acceptance of the Community acquis: ability to take on the obligations of membership,
including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union.

Acquis communautaire

This is a French term covering, essentially, the rights and obligations that all EU countries share.
The ‘acquis’ includes all the EU’s treaties and laws, declarations and resolutions, international
agreements on matters for which the EU is competent and the judgments given by the Court
of Justice. It includes action that EU governments take together in the area of justice and home
affairs and on the common foreign and security policy. Applicant countries have to accept the
‘acquis’ before they can join the EU, and make EU law part of their own national legislation.
39
 Committee of the Regions (CoR)

Established in 1994, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) is a political assembly providing local
and regional bodies with a voice in the European Union. The treaties require the Commission
and the Council to consult the Committee of the Regions whenever new proposals are made in
EU keywords

areas that have repercussions at regional or local level. These areas include economic and social
cohesion, trans-European infrastructure networks, health, education and culture, employment
policy, the environment and transport. The Committee has 344 members, who are often region-
ally elected officials or mayors, appointed by the Council for four years, having been nominated
by the Member States.

Common market and single market

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

Council of the European Union

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

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

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

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

40
Court of Justice of the European Communities (CJEC)

The Court of Justice, based in Luxembourg, ensures compliance with the law in the interpreta-
tion and application of the founding treaties. It is composed of the same number of judges as
there are Member States. The judges are assisted by eight advocates-general who are appointed

EU keywords
for six years by agreement among the Member States. It has two principal functions: to check
whether instruments of the European institutions and of governments are compatible with the
treaties; and to give rulings, at the request of a national court, on the interpretation or the validity
of provisions contained in Community law.

Division of competences

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

— concurrent or shared competences (the most common case);

— exclusive Community competences (the Member States have irrevocably relinquished all
possibility of taking action);
— supporting competences or areas of supporting action (the Community’s sole task is to co-
ordinate and encourage action by the Member States).

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

Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

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

The 12 Member States which joined the EU on or after 1 May 2004 are required to adopt the euro
once they meet all the convergence criteria, which aim to ensure that economic development
within EMU is balanced and does not give rise to any tensions between the Member States.
41
 European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF)

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

European Central Bank (ECB)

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

European Commission

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

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

European Council

The European Council is the term currently used to describe the regular meetings of the Heads
of State or Government of the European Union Member States. Its role is to provide the Euro-
pean Union with the necessary impetus for its development and to lay down general political
guidelines. It does not enact legislation, and its decisions are taken by consensus. It meets at
least twice a year. Meetings of the European Council are normally held in Brussels.
42
European court of Auditors (EcA)

The European Court of Auditors, based in Luxembourg, is composed of one national from each
Member State. The Court checks the revenue and expenditure of the European Union (and any
body created by the Community) for legality and regularity and ensures that its financial man-

EU kEywordS
agement is sound. It supplies the European Parliament and the Council with a statement of
assurance as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying
transactions. The Court of Auditors has the power to report any irregularities to the European
Parliament and the Council.

European Economic and Social committee (EESc

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

European investment bank (Eib)

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

Outside the European Union the EIB supports the pre-accession strategies of the applicant
countries and the countries of the Western Balkans. It manages the financial dimension of the
agreements concluded under European development aid and cooperation policies.
43
 Ombudsman

The Ombudsman is empowered to receive complaints concerning maladministration by Com-

munity institutions or bodies (with the exception of the Court of Justice and the Court of First
Instance) from any EU citizen or any individual residing in a Member State or from businesses,
EU keywords

associations or other bodies with a registered office in the EU. For example, complaints may be
based on lack or denial of access to information, unjustified administrative delays, unfairness or
discrimination or lack of transparency.

Subsidiarity and proportionality

The subsidiarity principle is intended to ensure that decisions are taken as closely as possible
to the citizen and that constant checks are made as to whether action at Community level is
justified in the light of the possibilities available at national, regional or local level. Specifically, it
is the principle whereby the Union does not take action (except in the areas which fall within its
exclusive competence) unless it is more effective than action taken at national, regional or local
level. It is closely bound up with the principle of proportionality, which requires that any action
by the Union should not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the treaty.
44
■ Milestones in
European integration
9 May 1950 — Robert Schuman, French Foreign Minister, proposes a coal and steel union
between France and West Germany, a plan based on the ideas of Jean Monnet. The date of
Schuman’s speech has since then been celebrated annually as ‘Europe Day’.

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

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

March 1958 — Constituent session of the European Parliamentary Assembly.

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

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

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

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

January 1981 — Greece joins the EEC.

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

January 1986 — Spain and Portugal join the EEC.

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

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

November 1989 — Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Cold War ends and Europe’s divisions can begin
to be healed. Germany is soon reunited.
45
 January 1993 — The single market and its four freedoms are established: free movement of
goods, services, people and capital is now a reality.

November 1993 — The Treaty on European Union signed at Maastricht comes into force. It
sets out plans for a future single currency as well as for foreign and security policy and closer
cooperation in justice and home affairs. The name ‘European Union’ officially replaces that of
Milestones in European integration

Dates clés de l’intégration européenne

‘European Community’. The ‘co-decision’ procedure is introduced, giving real legislative power
to the European Parliament.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

March 2007 — To mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, Parliament signs, with the
Council and Commission, the Berlin Declaration.
46
December 2007 — The Presidents of the Parliament, the Commission and the Council of the
European Union sign and solemnly proclaim the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Heads
of State or Government sign the Lisbon Treaty.

January 2008 — Cyprus and Malta join the euro zone.

milESTonES in EUropEAn inTEgrATion

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

June 2009 — European Parliament elections.

47
 ■ European Parliament
addresses

European Parliament European Parliament European Parliament

Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047 Bruxelles
(32-2) 284 21 11
(32-2) 230 69 33
Plateau du Kirchberg
BP 1601
L-2929 Luxembourg
(352) 43 00-1
(352) 43 00-24842
Allée du Printemps
BP 1024/F
F-67070 Strasbourg Cedex
(33) 388 17 40 01
(33) 388 17 48 60

Petitions Citizens’ Correspondence

European Parliament European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament Citizens’ Correspondence
Rue Wiertz 60 GOL03A012
B-1047 Bruxelles L-2929 Luxembourg
(352) 43 00-27072

Visits and Seminars

European Parliament
Visits and Seminars
Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047 Brussels
(32-2) 284 21 11
(32-2) 284 35 30
European Parliament
Visits and Seminars
Bureau de Strasbourg
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48
 Information offices

BELGIQUE/BELGIË DANMARK ÉIRE/IRELAND

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MÜNCHEN
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49
 FRANCE KYPROS MAGYARORSZÁG
PARIS NICOSIA BUDAPEST
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STRASBOURG
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LIETUVA NEDERLAND
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ITALIA
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ROMA (31-70) 364 70 01
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LUXEMBOURG ÖSTERREICH
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www.europarl.it LUXEMBOURG WIEN
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MILANO A-1010 WIEN
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50
POLSKA SLOVENSKO UNITED KINGDOM
WARSZAWA BRATISLAVA LONDON
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EDINBURGH
PORTUGAL SUOMI/FINLAND The Tun
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Largo Jean Monnet, 1-6 Pohjoisesplanadi 31 / Holyrood Road
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www.parleurop.pt ephelsinki@europarl.europa.eu www.europarl.org.uk
www.europarl.fi

ROMÂNIA SVERIGE
BUCUREŞTI STOCKHOLM
Strada Boteanu 1, Sector 1 Nybrogatan 11, 3 tr.
RO-010027 BUCUREŞTI S-11439 STOCKHOLM
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epbucarest@europarl.europa.eu epstockholm@europarl.europa.eu
www.europarl.europa.eu/bucuresti www.europarl.se

SLOVENIJA
LJUBLJANA
Breg 14
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51
For more information visit:

QA-78-07-051-EN-C
www.europarl.europa.eu
This publication was produced by the European
Parliament’s Directorate-General for
Communication.
Manuscript completed in December 2007.

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

A great deal of additional information on the European Union is

available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa
server (http://europa.eu).
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European
Communities, 2008
© European Communities, 2008
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Germany
PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER

ISBN 928232287-4

9 789282 322871