Consists of 626 representatives of the citizens of the Member States. It is a part of the legislative process, although with different prerogatives according to the procedures through which EU law is to be enacted. In the framework of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), the Parliament has mainly consultative powers. The Treaty establishes certain procedures for the democratic accountability of the ECB to the Parliament (presentation of the annual report, general debate on the monetary policy, hearings before the competent parliamentary committees).
The European Parliament is the assembly of the representatives of the 370 million Union citizens. Since 1979 they have been elected by direct universal suffrage and today total 626, distributed between Member States by reference to their population. The European Parliament's main functions are as follows:
•it considers the Commission's proposals and is associated with the Council in the legislative process, in some cases as co-legislator, by means of various procedures (codecision procedure, cooperation procedure, assent, advisory opinion etc.);
•it has the power of control over the Union's activities through its confirmation of the appointment of the Commission (and the right to censure it) and through the written and oral questions it can put to the Commission and the Council;
•it shares budgetary powers with the Council in voting on the annual budget, rendering it enforceable through the President of Parliament's signature, and overseeing its implementation.
It also appoints an Ombudsman empowered to receive complaints from Union citizens concerning maladministration in the activities of the Community institutions or bodies. Finally, it can set up temporary committees of inquiry, whose powers are not confined to examining the actions of the Community institutions but may also relate to actions by Member States in implementing Community policies.
The Treaty of Amsterdam simplified the various legislative procedures by virtually doing away with the cooperation procedure (it still applies in a few cases coming under the Title on economic and monetary union) and considerably extending the codecision procedure.
The Treaty of Nice, which entered into force on 1 February 2003, also enhanced Parliament's role as co-legislator by extending the co-decision procedure and granted Parliament a right to bring actions before the Court of Justice of the European Union, under the same conditions as the other institutions.
Looking ahead to the enlargement of the Union, the Treaty of Nice has also limited the number of MEPs to a maximum of 732, with effect from the next elections in June 2004 (the current limit, set by the Amsterdam Treaty, is 700). It also reallocated seats between Member States (which lose 91 seats) and candidate countries, reaching a compromise between the actual demographic situation and equality between Member States by respecting the principle of "appropriate representation of the peoples".
See:
•
Assent procedure •
Codecision procedure •
Confirmation of the Commission •
Consultation procedure •
Cooperation procedure •
Democratic deficit •
Enlargement•
National parliaments•
Ombudsman •
Uniform electoral procedure, Statute for Members of the European Parliament and European political parties
The assembly of the representatives of the 370 million Union citizens. Parliaments main role is to consider the Commissions proposals. It is associated with the Council in the legislative process, in some cases as co-legislator.
Free Download Now!
