Árpád Duka-Zólyomi

Members of the European Parliament (MEP) are not forming groups on the basis of their nationality, but their are members of European political groups, which comprise all political parties in member states of the European Union.

Elections to the EP are direct, on the basis of a general voting right, in compliance with the applying procedures in concrete member states. The MEPs carry out their mandates indepently, they cannot be commanded.

A képviselők a megbízatásukat teljes függetlenségben gyakorolják, nem utasíthatók, és nem kaphatnak kötött mandátumot.

Number of seats in EP by political groups (state on 3rd Octobre 2004)

The European Parliament was created in the 1950s. MEPs are from 1979 elected directly.

Election to the EP take place every 5 years, each citizen of the EU (who possesses right to vote in his home country) has right to vote. EP thus represents the democratic will of 380 million citizens and advocates their interests during the negotiations with other EU institutions.

Josep Borrel Fontelles was in 2004 elected for the President of the EP.

Number of seats by member states:

(in alphabetical order)

What are the powers of the European Parliament?

EP has 3 main types of power:

• The European Parliament shares legislative power equally with the Council of the European Union. This means it is empowered to adopt European laws (directives, regulations etc,). It can accept, amend or reject the content of European legislation.
• The European Parliament has major supervisory powers over the activities of the European Union.
• The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union together constitute the Union’s budgetary authority, which decides each year on its expenditure and revenue. The procedure of examining, then adopting, the budget takes place between June and late December.

Let’s take a closer look at these 3 areas!

1. Legislative power

In the adoption of legislative acts, a distinction is made between the ordinary legislative procedure (codecision), which puts Parliament on an equal footing with the Council, and the special legislative procedures, which apply only in specific cases where Parliament has only a consultative role.

On ’sensitive’ questions (e.g. taxation, industrial policy, agricultural policy) the European Parliament gives only an advisory opinion (the ‘consultation procedure’). In some cases the Treaty provides that consultation is obligatory, being required by the legal base, and the proposal cannot acquire the force of law unless Parliament has delivered an opinion. In this case the Council is not empowered to take a decision alone.

It can ask the Commission to present legislative proposals for laws to the Council.

It plays a genuine role in creating new laws, since it examines the Commission’s annual programme of work and says which laws it would like to see introduced.

2. Supervisory power

The European Parliament exercises democratic control over the Commission and there is also a certain parliamentary oversight over the activities of the Council. This control can be put into practice in various ways.

First of all: The President of the Commission is appointed by a majority vote in the Council.

Parliament approves or rejects the proposed appointment. Then, in accord with the President appointed, the Member States appoint the Commissioners. The College of Commissioners must then be endorsed as a whole by Parliament.

Secondly: Parliament has the power to censure the Commission; this is a fundamental instrument that can be exercised by the Members of the European Parliament to ensure democratic control within the Union. Parliament can force the College of Commissioners as a whole to resign.

The Commission regularly submits reports to Parliament, such as The Annual Commission Report on the Functioning of the Communities and The Annual Report on the Implementation of the Budget. Through its scrutiny of these reports Parliament is able to exercise oversight.

Members of the European Commission take part on plenary sessions and committee meetings of the EP in order to ensure the permanent communication between these two institutions.

Tabling written and oral questions by MEPs to the Council and the Commission is one of Parliament’s means of exercising supervision.

EP narrowly cooperates with the Council in some areas of public interest, such as immigration and asylum policy, fight against drugs and organized crime. The Council Presidency permanently informs the Parliament about these themes.

Parliament carries out its control power also by receiving petitions from citizens. The European Parliament also has the power to set up a committee of inquiry to look into violations or wrong application of Community law by Member States.

Finally, Parliament plays an important role also during the summits of the European Council. Each summit begins with a declaration by the President of the European Parliament, setting out the institution’s key positions on the subjects to be addressed by the Heads of State and Government. At the end of each summit the President of the European Council presents a report to Parliament on its outcome and launches a debate with the Members of the European Parliament.

3. Budgetary power

The Council of EU and the EP jointly decide about the EU’s annual budget. Parliament discusses the budget in two readings, but the budget is finally validated just after signing by the President of the EP.

The Committee on Budgetary Control (COCOBU) monitors the Union’s expenditure on a permanent basis.

How is the work in the European Parliament organized?

The Parliament’s activities run over on two levels:

• Plenary sittings are prepared by the MEPs in various committees, which deal with different areas of EU policy. The actual themes are discussed also by the political groups.
• Plenary sittings take place mainly in Strasbourg (one week each month), but sometimes also in Brussels. During these sessions Parliament examines the proposals and before voting on the proposal, MEPs vote on amendments.

Also other themes relating to the Council or the Commission can appear on the agenda of the plenary. MEPs also often discuss about issues related to actual events in the EU or in the world.