The European Parliament is one of the great achievements of the European Project. It has been built on the hard work, great efforts and determination of many politicians and statesmen and women in the decades following WW2. But what role does it play within the political framework of the European Union?
A short history of the European Parliament
It all began with the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), created by six countries on 18 April 1951. They met as the Common Assembly of the ECSC, which became the common assembly of all three supranational European communities that existed at the time (including the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community). On 19 March 1958 the European Parliamentary Assembly held its first meeting, with Robert Schuman as first elected President. On 30 March 1962 it changed its name to the European Parliament.
Meetings were originally held in the Palais Universitaire in Strasbourg. But, following the building of the Palais de l’Europe in 1976 for the Council of Europe, the EP shared the plenary chamber there. Further buildings were added along the river in 1979, 1986, 1988 and 1992 to house Members of European Parliament (MEPs) and staff. Eventually ,the Parliament built the large Louise Weiss Building, opened in 1999. It has several other named buildings opposite, connected by a glass bridge and adjacent to the Council of Europe building. One of them is the Winston Churchill Building.
The European Parliament: the heart of representative democracy
The European Parliament has undergone profound changes over time, evolving from an assembly with appointed members to an elected parliament that is recognised as a political agenda-setter of the European Union. Since 1979, members have been elected by direct universal elections held across the EU.
The European Parliament plays a key role in shaping European policies by voting on EU laws and the EU budget. It also exercises political control. Parliamentarians sit on the basis of their political affinities (see the Statista chart below) and meet once a month in Strasbourg. Parliament aims to be as transparent as possible and translates its documents into all EU languages. As an accessible and inclusive organisation, it promotes citizen participation and organises events.
How often are parliamentary sessions in Strasbourg?
Parliament meets in plenary session every month (except August) in Strasbourg. It holds a ‘part-session’ lasting four days (from Monday to Thursday). The representatives of all member states must participate in person in the plenary session to vote on decisions. Plenary business mainly focuses on debates and votes.
Additional part-sessions are held in Brussels, divided into daily sittings.
What are the European Parliament’s powers?
The European Parliament has four key powers:
- Adopting EU laws which have been proposed by the European Commission and amends them where appropriate. It shares this power with the Council of the European Union. The two institutions carefully scrutinise the wording of proposed legislation before conducting intense negotiations to try to reach and agreement. In each five-year parliamentary term, the Parliament adopts on average 1,000 legislative acts having a direct impact on the lives of EU citizens.
- Examining and adopting the annual budget, which is submitted by the Commission for the following year. The budget is dedicated to implementing EU policies. Its primary objective is to stimulate growth and employment. It benefits citizens in numerous areas: it helps millions of students, thousands of researches and many cities, regions and associations. It also ensures that farmers can enjoy a decent income.
- Approving international agreements. Some issues have implications which go beyond Europe, such as climate change. Parliament sets out the guidelines for negotiations on international agreements. These agreements are then submitted for its assent and cannot be concluded without its approval. The same applies to any enlargement of the European Union to include new countries.
- Overseeing the executive. As the Parliament is an elected body, it exercises democratic oversight over all EU institutions, especially the EU’s executive body, the European Commission. The purpose of this oversight is to ensure EU law is correctly applied and that the budget is used effectively. Parliament elects the President of the Commission , conducts hearings of nominee Commissioners and can pass a motion of censure requiring the Commission to resign.
How does the European Parliament work with other EU institutions?
The above diagram shows that the European Parliament does not initiate laws, in the way that the UK Parliament does. It is the European Commission which proposes and implements laws which are in keeping with the objectives of the EU treaties. It encourages input from experts, businesses and concerned citizens in the law marking process. A proposal for a law often originates in the meetings called by one of the 33 Directorates-General (health, trade, transport etc.) The EU Parliament and the Council of the European Union then legislate on what is proposed.
How does the European Parliament operate?
When a policy proposal first reaches Parliament, it is analysed by MEPs who have specialised in that field. It is then discussed by MEPs in their own political grouping (see diagram below which shows the composition of Parliament by grouping) to agree how the votes will be cast for that group. For each policy, MEPs are active in analysing, debating, seeking compromise and finally, voting.
Elections to the European Parliament
This year, the 10th direct EU election was held between 6 and 9 June. They take place every five years. Voters in each country have one vote, and choose from a range of parties listed for their own country. Each of these parties is a member of a parliamentary political group. The elected members sit together in the hemicycle according to political affiliation, not by nationality. The number of MEPs from each member state is proportional to its population, with guarantees for representation for smaller countries. The infographic below shows the configuration of the 2024-29 period.
Further detailed information showing the distribution of seats by political group and member state, election results for each country and much more is available at: European Parliament Election 2024 – Europe Elects
The history of European elections
This link takes you to a very detailed and thorough history of the path from the Common Assembly in 1951, through the various decades of development from 1979 to the most recent European elections in 2024.
The hemicycle and its role in the legislative process
The shape of a parliamentary debating chamber can perhaps have an influence on the manner of the debate.
Winston Churchill famously said: “we shape our buildings and they shape us.” And in Britain, the House of Commons could be seen as quite adversarial and confrontational, in that the two largest parties sit opposite each other.
The hemicycle, on the other hand, is arguably more conducive to collaboration. It is a shape which is found in many parliaments across the world. The whole political spectrum is present, organised from Left to Right (from the Speaker’s viewpoint). The focus is whoever is speaking. They sit in the centre, at the front, together with the President or Speaker of the Chamber and the other Parliamentary official staff. The picture below shows the hemicycle in a full plenary sitting.
The European Parliament is rigorous in advertising its role and the way it functions, in accordance with its aim to be as transparent as possible. Hence the exhibition in the foyer , which is also viewable online.
The plenary sittings of the European Parliament are the high point of its political activity. They are the sessions where MEPs debate, scrutinise and vote on proposed legislation. They represent the culmination of the legislative work done in committees and political groups. The photograph below provides further information on plenary sessions.
In the EP the hemicycle is housed in the hemisphere, as detailed in the previous article. The Europeana website contains further information and detail.
Want to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg?
Information about visiting the European Parliament can be found on the European Parliament’s website. Visits are free of charge.
Editor’s Note
Kent and Surrey Bylines have recently published two other articles about Strasbourg’s European Quarter. The first article was a general introduction to Strasbourg and its European Quarter (EQ), and focused on The Lieu d’Europe exhibition centre, The Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The second article describes the ideas behind the EP building itself, both outside and in.
The copyright terms for the photographs in this article from the Publications Office of the European Union can be found at: The European Parliament – The voice of citizens in the European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2861/709972
