The European parliament is one of the five principal organs of the European communities and since 1979 every five years in general, free and secret European elections is directly selected. Before it, from 1952 to 1979, the members of the European Union parliament were determined by the parliaments of the member states. It is the democratic agency of 450 million humans. Service places of the European parliament are Brussels and Strasbourg. The political structures existing in the member states are reflected also in the political parliamentary groups on level of the European parliament again. There is seven parliamentary groups as well as a set of parliamentary groupless delegates. In their homelands the delegates are member in approximately 160 different parties. On 20 July 2004 the European parliament for the sixth electoral period assembled, since it has 732 delegates.

The European parliament is as it were the citizen chamber of the European Union, beside the advice of the European union as state chamber. Whereby it however clearly fewer rights has than the parliaments of most states.

Further regulations to organization and function the agenda contains of the European parliament.

Tasks

The parliament has three substantial tasks:

• The legislative function with the advice of the European union divides, thus European laws take on (guidelines, regulations, decisions). The EP does not possess Initiativrecht, i.e. it cannot bring in own law collecting mains; also in the discussed European condition this is not intended. This Initiativrecht possesses the European commission on European Union level only. In most politics policies since the contract by Nice legal texts are accepted in the joint decision procedure, with which parliament and advice are equal and must with disagreement in third reading in a mediation committee (similar the procedure between Bundestag and Bundesrat) agree.
• The European parliament and the advice are the budgetary authority of the European Union together. The European commission suggests a budget draft. In the budgetary procedure then parliament and advice can decide changes. With the incomes the advice has the final say, with the expenditures the parliament. The powers of the parliament within the range of the agrarian expenditures are however small. However since then the parliament of household powers possesses, the portion of the agrarian expenditures of the European Union household (about 100 billion euro in the year 2004) from approximately 90% on under 50% sank. For the financial year 2005 an increase of the budget is intended around 10% on 109,5 billion euro.
• It exercises "control" over the commission. Before their appointment the parliament in committees examines the authority and integrity of the designate commissioners. It must the designation of the committees member agree and can, however only with 2/3-Mehrheit, a resignation of the commission by a vote of no confidence force. In addition it exercises political control of the advice of the European union and the commission, particularly outside of the framework of the EEC, where these institutions hold executive functions (see the three columns of the European union).

Altogether the parliament won authority since its establishment in addition; is however nevertheless relatively weak.

In order to be able to treat topics expert, the delegates specialize. They are sent by the parliamentary groups and/or the group that parliamentary group lots in altogether 20 constant committees and 2 subs-committee, that are responsible for certain special ranges and which prepare work of the plenary sessions. Beyond that the possibility for the mechanism of not-constant committees as well as of committees of inquiry exists.

History

Of 10-13. September 1952 met the first time, in the context of the EGKS (European community for coal and steel), a parliamentary meeting, that consisted of 78 members of the national parliaments. The meeting could become to a large extent only advisory active, had however the possibility of forcing the High Authority of the EGKS with a vote of no confidence to the resignation. 1957 became with the Roman ones contracts the European one Economic Community (EEC) as well as the European one Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) based. The common meeting, that consisted at this time of 142 delegates, was now responsible for all 3 communities. It received no new authority, gave themselves however nevertheless to the name European parliament. 1971 received the EEC its own household and the meeting in the list and the Verabschiedung of the budget were taken part. 1979 took place for the first time direct elections to the parliament. 1986 were signed the uniform European document. In the contracts the term European parliament was used for the first time, whose rights extended and it takes part in the general legislation. After the Maastrichter contract could prevent the parliament a bill against the will of the Council of Ministers and use committees of inquiry.

Seat, seat structure and service places

Seat of the European parliament is Strasbourg. There twelve four-day plenary session weeks take place in the year. In addition the committees and parliamentary groups meet also in Brussels, where besides shorter plenary sessions take place. In Luxembourg the Generalsekretariat has its seat carrier.

The Generalsekretariat is divided into 8 central management under the responsibility per a general manager and the legal service. It led of the Secretary-General. The politicsnear central management is with their coworkers in Brussels, the remaining in Luxembourg. Here civil services work with 3500 coworkers somewhat more than half of the officials, among them many translators and meeting-far.

Secretary-General, Julian Priestley (GB); GD I (presidency), general manager Harald Romans (DK); GD II (internal Politiken), general manager Klaus wave (D); GD III (external Politiken), general manager Dietmar nickel (D); GD IV (information and press), general directress Francesca Ratti (I); GD V (personnel), general manager Barry Wilson (GB); GD VI (building/interpreter), general manager Nicolas Rieffel (F); GD VII (translation and edition), general manager Gerard Bokanowski (F); GD VIII (finances), general manager Roger Vanhaeren (B).

Why these three

As symbolic seat after the establishment Strasbourg was specified immediately. It symbolizes the French-German reconciliation after the war. Because there were no office surfaces, the services were settled first in Luxembourg. But with establishment of the EEC 1958 Brussels was determined as seat of the European commission. Therefore it developed in such a way that the parliamentary committees met there. With the contract of Maastricht Strasbourg was finally confirmed as seat; this clause was affirmed in the contract of Amsterdam and is not also missing in the up-to-date valid contract of Nice.

The buildings, which the parliament in the respective cities uses, were built by the appropriate states. The parliament tries, it the days, on which they are not used for meetings, to letting. Also the European citizen-assigned has its seat in the buildings in Strasbourg.

The seat question is not undisputed also within the parliament. There were and give initiatives of delegates again and again to shift the seat. In addition however a contract modification and thus an agreement of all member states would be necessary.

Articles in category "European parliament"

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