European Parliament

Work done by: Rafaela

Carvalho
 History:

■ The origins of the European Parliament go back to the Common Assembly of the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC), which has become the common assembly of the three
supranational European communities then existing. Subsequently, the assembly was renamed the
"European Parliament".
■ He European treaties have given Parliament a broad range of powers as the EU’s directly-elected
body. 
 Composition:

■ The number of deputies per country is approximately proportional to the population of each
country.

■ The President View this link in another language represents Parliament with the other European
institutions and abroad and gives final approval to the EU budget.
Functions:

■ elected EU body with legislative, budgetary and supervisory responsibilities.

Legislative powers
■ Parliament is a co-legislator, having the power, on an equal footing with the EU
Council, to pass and amend legislation and decide the EU budget. It monitors the work
of the Commission and other EU bodies and cooperates with the national parliaments of
the Member States in order to hear their views.
■ Most EU legislation is passed through the ordinary legislative process, also known as
"codecision". This is the most common process and gives equal weight to the European
Parliament and the EU Council when making decisions. It applies to a wide range of
areas, such as migration, energy, transport, climate change, the environment, consumer
protection and economic governance.
Who makes legislatives proposals?
■ Although it is up to the Commission to present new legislative proposals, the European
Parliament can take the initiative to ask the Commission to present a legislative
proposal. When adopting a 'legislative initiative' report, MEPs can set a deadline for the
Commission to submit a proposal. If not, the Commission will have to explain the
reasons for this to the European Parliament.

MEPs
Supervisory powers

■ Exercise democratic control over all EU institutions.

■ elects the President of the Commission and approves the Commission as a whole; may
vote on a motion of censure, forcing the Commission to resign .
■ grants discharge, ie approves how the EU budget is spent.
■ examines citizens petitions and opens inquiries.
■ discusses monetary policy with the European Central Bank .
■ questions the Commission and the Council.
■ carries out electoral observations
Budgetary powers

■ defines the EU budget, together with the Council .

■ approves the EU's multiannual financial framework.
How does Parliament work?

has two main steps:

■ Parliamentary committees - preparation of legislation
■ Plenary sessions - approval of legislation

the citizen If you want to ask Parliament to intervene on a particular issue, you can submit a
petition (by post or by email).
The Political grups of the European
Parliament
■ The Members of the European Parliament sit in political groups – they are not organised
by nationality, but by political affiliation. There are currently 7 political groups in the
European Parliament.
The EPP Group

■ The EPP Group is the largest and oldest group in the European Parliament. A centre-
right group, we are committed to creating a stronger and self-assured Europe, built at
the service of its people. Our goal is to create a more competitive and democratic
Europe, where people can build the life they want.
Group of the Progressive Aliance of Socialists
and Democrats in European Parliament

■ The S&D Group's MEPs work hard to support many campaigns and initiatives,
highlighting important causes and bringing people together to find better solutions for
the key problems we face in Europe. Read more about these activities below and find
out how you can get involved.
Renew Europe Group

■ At a time when the rule of law and democracy are threatened in parts of Europe, this
Group defends itself as people who suffer from illiberal and nationalist tendencies who
see it returning in many countries.
Group of the Greens/European Free
Alliance
■ In parliament they fight for gender justice, collective press and institutional and citizen
perspectives.
Identetity and Democracy Group
European Conservatives and Reformists
Group
■ The ECR Group has continuously been the voice of reason within the European
Parliament when it comes to enhancing Europe’s internal and external security. The
ECR believes that the expedient and thorough sharing of information between Member
States law enforcements authorities is essential in the fight against cross border crime,
cybercrime, and terrorism. Keeping Europe’s citizens safe from the threat of violence
and criminality must be a priority for the European Union.
Confederal Group of the European
United- Nordic Green Left
GUE/NGL
■ This abbreviation stands for Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green
Left which brings together left-wing MEPs in the European Parliament.
■ They are fighting for more and better jobs and educational opportunities, for social security and
social solidarity, for a respectful way of dealing with our land and its resources, for cultural exchange
and diversity, for sustainable economic development and for a consistent and strong . These must, in
our view, constitute the final objectives of the European integration process. They want equal rights
for women and men, civil rights and freedoms and the application of human rights. Anti-fascism and
anti-racism are also a strong part of the tradition of leftist movements in Europe.
 Actual facts:
■ President: David-Maria Sassoli
■ Headquarters: Strasbourg(France),Brussels(Belgium) and Luxembourg.
■ Created in 1952 as Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community, 1962 as
European Parliament, first direct elections in 1979 .
David-Maria Sassoli
Importance of european parliament:

■ The Parliament sees its role not only in promoting democratic decision-making in
Europe but also in supporting the fight for democracy, freedom of speech and fair
elections across the globe.
■ Most proposed laws must be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of
the European Union to become law.
 The elections and the voting process:
■ Direct elections to the European Parliament are held every 5 years. In these elections, EU
citizens choose who will represent their interests in the European Parliament.
■ European Parliament elections take place within a 4-day period, normally in June, all over the
European Union. Elections to the European Parliament in 2019 were held between 23 and 26
May 2019. The precise day of elections is set by each Member State.
■ Voting practices can vary between different EU countries. MEPs are elected according to
national electoral systems, but these have to observe certain common provisions established by
EU law. This infographic (pdf) gives an overview of voting rules in all EU states.
■ You can read more about the voting procedures in European elections in Ireland.
■ The results of the 2019 European elections are available on election-results.eu.
How can you become a member of the European parliament:

■ Produce a Certificate of Party Affiliation

■ Produce 60 statutory declarations of assentors who are registered voters in the
constituency (Form EP2A must be completed by assentors and witnessed by a
Commissioner for Oaths, Peace Commissioner, Notary Public, member of the Garda
Síochána or official of the registration authority)
■ Pay a deposit of €1,800
Candidate spending and donation limits:

■ he spending limit for a candidate in a European election is €230,000.

■ An MEP or a candidate at a European election may not accept a donation greater than
€1,000 in any year from the same donor. Candidates are not allowed to accept
anonymous donations greater than €100 - any such donations must be surrendered to the
Standards in Public Office Commission.
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

■ The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) represents a major step in the integration of
EU economies.
■ The Economic and Monetary Union is not an end in itself. It is a means to provide
stability and for stronger, more sustainable and inclusive growth...
webgraphy

■ www.europarl.europa.eu 
■ en.wikipedia.org 
■ europa.eu
■ https://www.eppgroup.eu/
■ https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/
■ https://reneweuropegroup.eu/en/
■ https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/
■ https://ecrgroup.eu/
■ https://www.guengl.eu/
Work done by: Rafaela Carvalho
AECCB