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European Parliament Poster...

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STATUTE Article 14 TEU and Articles 223-234 TFEU govern the European Parliament.

BUDGET The Union’s budget is drafted by the Commission and placed before the Council and the European Parliament. The budget is divided into two parts (1) compulsory expenditure (CE) and (2) non-compulsory expenditure (NCE). Article 314(4) TFEU provides that the European Parliament may amend any part of the draft budget, irrespective of whether the item concerns CE or NCE. If the European Parliament and the Council can’t agree on the draft budget, the Commission is required to submit a new draft budget (Article 314(8) TFEU).

COMPOSITION Article 14(3) TEU The members of the European Parliament shall be elected for a term of five years by direct universal suffrage in a free and secret ballot. The number of MEPs for each country is roughly proportionate to its population, but this is by degressive proportionality: no country can have fewer than 6 or more than 96 MEPs and the total number cannot exceed 751 (750 plus the President). MEPs are grouped by political affiliation, not by nationality. The seats are, however, not proportional. 1 Maltese MEP represents 70,000 and 1 German MEP represents 850,000 people. MEPs stand as members of national political parties but sit within broad political groups rather than national affiliations in the European parliament.

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

FUNCTIONS The EEC Treaty included a provision for ‘an Assembly’ whose task was to ‘exercise the advisory and supervisory powers’ conferred upon it. Article 14(1) TEU The European Parliament shall, jointly with the Council, exercise legislative and budgetary functions. It shall exercise functions of political control and consultation as laid down in the Treaties. It shall elect the President of the Commission. The European Parliament represents the interests of the citizens of the Union. There are three main powers exercised by the European Parliament: 1. Participation in the legislative process of the Union; 2. Acting as the budgetary authority; 3. Supervision of the Commission The European Parliament can request that the Commission submit a proposal for legislation (Article 225 TFEU) and must approve the admission of new Member States (Article 49 TFEU). The European Parliament has the power appoint a Parliamentary Ombudsman to investigate complaints about any of the other Union institutions, except the Court of Justice of the European Union acting in its judicial role (Article 228 TFEU). The European Parliament takes an active part in the political life of the Union, commissioning reports and passing resolutions on important issues. The European Parliament has supervisory powers of the Commission, including the right to dismiss the Commission, Art 17(8) TEU, Art 234 TFEU).

WORKING PROCEDURES & CONDUCT Voting Procedures Unless stated otherwise by Treaties, the European Parliament acts by a majority of the votes cast (Article 231 TFEU), also known as a simple majority. Plenary Meetings The European Parliament holds plenary sessions (all MEPs congregating together) in Strasbourg, committee meetings in Brussels and is serviced by staff located in Luxembourg. Protocol 6 The European Parliament shall have its seat in Strasbourg where the 12 periods of monthly plenary sessions, including the budget session, shall be held. The periods of additional plenary sessions shall be held in Brussels. The committees of the European Parliament shall meet in Brussels. The General Secretariat of the European Parliament and its departments shall remain in Luxembourg. A new building was erected in Brussels for full parliamentary sessions, but the European Council confirmed that the European Parliament would remain in Strasbourg. The Union has not decided on one main site for the European Parliament....