The European Parliament
description
Transcript of The European Parliament
The European Parliament
• Inter net www.europarl.eu.int
• Rue Wiertz, 60, B-1047, Brussels
• 1, avenue Robert Schumann, Strasbourg
• Plateau du Kirchberg, Luxembourg
Its political role
• Represents the people of member states
• first elected in 1979• currently has 625
members• all 18+ can vote• all +18 can stand for
election
• Does not sit in opposing sides as UK
• sits in political groups e.g European Socialists, Greens
• committees are the way policy is examined
The role of the parliament
• MEP’s examine proposals for new EU law
• MEP’s have final say on EU’s annual budget
• MEP’s monitor how monies are being spent
• MEP’s hold other institutions to account
• can question Commissioners(EC)
• can question government ministers
• own meetings held in public
Role - 2
• President and Commissioners need EP approval
• MEP’s can fire all of the Commission
• Appoint Chairman of ECB
• MEP’s move between Brussels, Strasbourg and constituencies
• Politcal groups decide what to oppose or support
• all MEP’s sit on at least one committee
Committees
• Foreign Affairs• Budgets• Citizens Rights and
Home Affairs• Economic and
Monetary Affairs• Industry• Employment
• Environment• Agriculture• Fisheries• Regions and Transport• Culture, Youth and
Education• Development• Women’s Rights
Policy making
• Parliament responsible with European Council for new laws and policies
• twice yearly meetings of European Council resolves differences and gives new initiatives
• European Commission is the civil service
• Makes proposals• Draws up spending
plans• 20 Commissioners• 2 from UK
Checks and Balances
• Court of Justice - settles disputes between member States and the Union itself
• Court of Auditors - checks on all monies spent
• Council of the Regions - 222 members
• each MEP receives salary as members of their national parliament
• salary paid by member state
Checks and balances - 2
• Allowances to MEP’s can be cut if they do not take part in committees etc
• 11 official languages• committees meet for
two weeks each month• proposals normally pass
through two readings
• EP has 3 powers:• to legislate• to pursue• supervise executive• pursue centres on the
Budget
The Budget
• Since 1970 budget financed from own resources agreed by member states
• EP consulted on this• 1.27% of GNP• customs duties levied
at external borders
• Agricultural levies on products imported from outside EU
• 1% of VAT receipts from member states
• a fourth resource based on relative prosperity(GNP)
The Budget - 2
• Main expenditure goes to: Agriculture 44%, Structural measures 35%, external activities 9%, internal policies 6%, admin 5%, reserves = balance
• Main income GNP shares 48%, VAT 36%, Agricultural levies 2%, custom duties 12%,miscellaneous 2%
The Budget - 3
• Parliament adopts the budget
• monitors proper use of funds through its Committees
• Parliament gives an annual assessment of Commission’s use of funds
• Then grants permission to proceed with next time period
The EP at work
• Foreign and Defence • development of
common policies• monitoring of policies• increased presence in
world affairs
• Justice and Home Affairs
• asylum• immigration• drug addiction• international fraud• international crime
The EP at work - 2
• Economic and Monetary Union
• works with ECB• ECB accountable to EP• EP appoints senior
officials• ECB President annual
report to EP
• At least four meetings per year with senior ECB officials
EP and world
• Developing countries• works with 71
countries in ACP group
• co-operation on trade, poverty, human rights and democratic government
• Heads of government of non-member States are regularly invited to address EP
How EP works
• The President, elected by Parliament represents EP on outside bodies
• Chairs Bureau - + 14 vice presidents
• elected for two and half years
• Conference of Presidents
• chairs of committees• decides agenda for EP• decides timetable• determines size of
committees
EP at work - 2
• The Secretariat• 3500 permanent staff• also political staff and
Members’ assistants• one third work on
translation and language matters
• Administrative budget = 1% of total funds
• Appoints Ombudsman to watch over EP behaviour
• Any EU citizen can petition EP
Making Decisions
• Plenary Sessions• holds one four day
session per month in Strasbourg
• mini-plenaries in Brussels
• eight political groups elect committee members
• Committees normally meet in Brussels
• prepare business for plenary sessions
• vote on reports drawn up by Rapporteur
• Resolution follows after scrutiny by political groups
Further information
• United Kingdom• 7 Queen Anne’s Gate,
London, SW1H 9AA• tel 0207 222 43 00• email
• Internet www.europarl.org.uk