European Parliament

The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union (EU). It is one of the EU's seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union, it makes laws for the EU using ideas from the European Commission. After the elections in June 2024, the Parliament has 720 members, called MEPs. They represent around 375 million voters across Europe.

Since 1979, people from EU countries have voted for their representatives in the European Parliament every five years. This is one of the biggest democratic elections in the world. The Parliament must approve most EU laws. It also helps control the EU budget and can choose who leads the European Commission.

The main meeting place of the European Parliament is in Strasbourg, France. It also works in Brussels, Belgium, where most of its meetings and offices are. The Parliament has many different political groups. The largest groups are the European People's Party Group, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Patriots for Europe, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, and Renew Europe.

History

Further information: Barroso Commission

The European Parliament began in 1952 as a group of leaders from countries in Europe. At first, it could not make laws. Over time, it became stronger and had more influence on the European Union.

In 1979, people in Europe voted for the first time to choose members of the Parliament. This made it more like a real parliament. Since then, it has gained more power, especially after rule changes in 2009. Today, it shares many powers with another group called the Council, helping to make important decisions for Europe.

The Parliament meets in different cities because of old agreements, with most work in Brussels and some meetings in Strasbourg. It has also worked to become more modern and fair, like trying to include more women and address fairness issues.

Powers and functions

The European Parliament and the Council work together to make laws for the European Union. They both need a proposal from the European Commission to create a new law.

The Parliament has a lot of influence. It can share ideas with journalists and has a role in foreign policy, like approving money for projects outside the EU.

Legislative procedure

The European Parliament has gained more power in making laws. The main way laws are made is called the "ordinary legislative procedure." The Commission suggests a law, and both the Parliament and the Council must agree on it. They discuss and change the proposal until they reach a deal.

There are special rules for making laws in areas like justice, budgets, and taxes. In these cases, either the Council or the Parliament decides alone after talking with the other.

Budget

The Parliament and the Council share the job of managing the EU’s budget. They both have equal say in deciding how the money is spent. If they disagree, they meet to find a solution. The Parliament checks how well the EU used money from past budgets.

Control of the executive

The Parliament has a say in who leads the European Commission. After European elections, the European Council suggests a President, and the Parliament must approve this choice. The same happens for the rest of the Commission members.

Supervisory and scrutiny powers

The Parliament can start special committees to investigate issues. It can call on other EU institutions to explain their actions.

The Parliament elects the European Ombudsman, who helps citizens with problems related to EU institutions. Any EU citizen can bring a petition to the Parliament about issues the EU handles. The Parliament’s Committee on Petitions listens to these cases and tries to help solve them.

Members

Main article: Members of the European Parliament

The parliamentarians are called Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). They are chosen every five years by people all over Europe. They sit together based on what they believe in. About 40 percent of them are women. Before 1979, their countries' governments chose them.

The Parliament has 720 members after elections in June 2024. Before that, there were 705 members. The number of seats each country gets depends on how many people live there. No country can have more than 96 or fewer than 6 seats. This means smaller countries have more influence per person than larger ones. Germany, the biggest country, has 96 seats. Malta, a small country, has just 6 seats.

MEPs work in groups based on their political ideas. The two biggest groups are the European People's Party Group and the Socialists & Democrats. These groups often work together to make decisions, but sometimes they work with other groups depending on the issue.

Elections

Main article: Elections to the European Parliament

People in every country in the European Union vote for their representatives in the European Parliament every five years. The first elections were in 1979, and there have been ten elections so far. When a new country joins the European Union, it holds a special election to choose its representatives.

Elections happen over four days, from Thursday to Sunday, and each country chooses which day to vote. The number of seats each country gets depends on its population, with no country getting more than 96 or fewer than 6 seats. The most recent elections were in 2024.

Proceedings

The European Parliament holds a yearly meeting, split into monthly parts. These include weeks for committees, political groups, and sessions. During session weeks, members meet in Strasbourg for three and a half days, with extra two-day meetings in Brussels through the year.

Members may speak during meetings if called by the President. Voting is often done by raising hands, but electronic voting can be used to confirm the result. Votes are recorded only for final laws or when asked by a political group or 30 members. All recorded votes and minutes are online. Members sit in a hemicycle based on their political groups, with desks for speaking, listening to translations, and voting. The layout balances different traditions. Access is controlled, and ushers help with procedures and can remove disruptive members.

President and organisation

Main article: President of the European Parliament

The President speaks for the Parliament, leads meetings, and represents it outside. The President is chosen every two and a half years. The current President is Roberta Metsola, chosen in January 2022. The President’s signature is needed for all EU laws, including the budget. The President also manages the Parliament’s rules and procedures.

The Parliament chooses 14 Vice-Presidents to lead debates when the President is away. The Bureau, made of the President and Vice-Presidents, handles budget and administration. The Conference of Presidents, with the President and leaders of political groups, guides the Parliament’s political choices. There are also Quaestors to help with members' money and administration.

Committees and delegations

Main article: Committees of the European Parliament

The Parliament has 20 Standing Committees with 25 to 88 members each. These committees meet twice a month to talk about and prepare laws. They have a chair, a bureau, and a secretariat. The Parliament can also make sub-committees and temporary committees for special topics. Committee chairs work together through the Conference of Committee Chairmen.

Delegations of the Parliament handle links with parliaments outside the EU. There are 44 delegations, most with about 15 members, but some are larger. These delegations include groups for talking together, joint committees, and assemblies with other areas. MEPs also join in worldwide activities like watching elections.

Intergroups

The Intergroups in the European Parliament are loose groups where MEPs from different political groups meet to talk about topics that affect many committees. They help solve problems in a less formal way. Intergroups get help from groups, but any money help must be clearly told. To start an Intergroup, at least three political groups must agree, with the number of ideas each group can back depending on their size.

Translation and interpretation

Interpretation in the European Parliament

Speakers in the European Parliament may use any of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Interpreting happens at the same time in all meetings, and all official papers are turned into all languages. This makes the European Parliament the most multilingual parliament in the world, using 350 full-time and 400 freelance interpreters when needed. Citizens may also speak in Basque, Catalan/Valencian, and Galician.

Interpreters must know the political ideas behind talks, not just the words, and get ready carefully. Problems can come from jokes, fast talking, or hard topics. Though speaking one’s home language is liked, the cost and difficulty of interpreting have caused talks about using fewer languages. The turned-into-many-languages meetings are used to make a multilingual database called Europarl, which helps make computers better at translation.

See also: Languages of the European Union

Corruption scandals

Qatar related

The European Parliament is dealing with a big problem called Qatargate. This problem involves claims that some officials and their families may have been influenced by the governments of Qatar, Morocco, and Mauritania. The goal was to improve these countries' images in the EU. Law enforcement in Belgium, Italy, and Greece found cash and charged several people with wrongdoings.

Azerbaijan related

Azerbaijan has faced criticism for possibly offering gifts or trips to foreign officials. In 2023, reports showed that some members of the European Parliament took free trips to Azerbaijan.

French National Front assistants affair

In 2023, Marine Le Pen, a leader in France, was charged with using money meant for her staff for other purposes. In 2025, she and others were found guilty of misusing EU funds.

Russia related

A former member of the European Parliament from the UK admitted in 2025 to taking money to support Russian interests.

Other

A report in January 2024 found that many EU lawmakers have been involved in legal cases or scandals.

Anti-corruption policies

The European Parliament has faced criticism for not being careful enough about conflicts of interest. In September 2023, it updated its rules to require members to declare their interests, income, and assets.

Annual costs

The European Parliament’s budget for 2021 was €2.064 billion. This is 1.2% of the EU budget. The biggest spending areas were staff, buildings and IT, political activities, and communications.

Studies show that having the Parliament in two places adds extra costs each year. Other national parliaments like the Bundestag and the British House of Commons spend less overall. In 2018, members chose not to make rules stricter for a monthly payment they receive.

Seats

The European Parliament has offices in three cities: Brussels, Luxembourg City, and Strasbourg. Strasbourg is the official seat, but most work happens in Brussels. Many people think it would be better to have just one main place, mainly Brussels, because other EU groups meet there too. However, changing this needs agreement from all EU countries, and France wants to keep the seat in Strasbourg. The buildings in Brussels need many repairs, which could cost a lot of money.

Channels of dialogue, information, and communication with European civil society

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) help people connect with the Parliament. They usually have an office near where they live and travel back each week to meet with people, businesses, unions, local leaders, and the media.

The Parliament has a website that many people visit. It also makes sure that its debates and meetings are easy to follow. European institutions work to be open and clear about what they do. This helps make sure that decisions are made close to the people they affect. The rules of the European Union say that everyone should be able to help shape how the Union works.

Dialogue with religious and non-confessional organisations

Rules in the European Union allow talks between European institutions and churches, as well as other groups that are not based on religion. This helps different groups share ideas and work together on important issues.

European Parliament Mediator for International Parental Child Abduction

There is a special helper in the European Parliament who assists families when a child is taken by one parent after the parents separate. This helper works to find solutions that are best for the child, helping parents agree on what should happen next. This is done through talks instead of going to court, and the agreement is supported by the Parliament to make sure it is fair and legal.

Liaison Offices (EPLOs) & Antennas

The European Parliament has offices in all its member countries, and also in important cities like London and Washington, D.C. It also has smaller offices, called antennas, in places like New York, Addis Ababa, Jakarta, Tirana, and Chișinău. These offices help the Parliament stay connected with other important groups around the world.

European Parliamentary Research Service

The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) is the research part of the European Parliament. It helps members of the Parliament and committees by giving them clear information about important issues in the European Union. This helps them do their jobs better and watch over other important groups in the EU.

The EPRS offers many services and information to support the Parliament’s work. It also helps share ideas with people and groups connected to the EU. All of its reports and materials can be found on the EP Think Tank website for everyone to see.

Eurobarometer of the European Parliament

The European Parliament asks people questions to learn what they think about its work and the European Union. The questions cover topics like the Parliament’s role, what people know about it, and how they feel about being part of the European Union. People also share their thoughts on important issues. The answers help show different views from many places and groups.

Eurobarometer

Prizes

Sakharov Prize

The European Parliament gives the Sakharov Prize to people who protect human rights around the world. The prize began in 1988 and focuses on freedom of speech, helping minority groups, and building strong democracies.

European Charlemagne Youth Prize

The European Charlemagne Youth Prize is for young people and their projects that bring Europeans closer together. The European Parliament awards this prize to support a shared European identity.

European Citizens' Prize

The European Citizens' Prize is for projects that help people from different EU countries work together on common goals.

LUX Prize

Since 2007, the LUX Prize has been given by the European Parliament to films about important issues in Europe today. This prize supports European filmmakers and encourages thinking about Europe’s future.

Daphne Caruana Galizia Journalism Prize

Starting in 2021, this prize honors great journalism that shows the values of the European Union. It is named after a journalist from Malta.