European parliament

the European parliament is one of the organs of the European communitiesand since 1979 every five years in general, free and secret European elections one selects directly. 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 millionHumans. 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. To 20. July 2004 assembled the European parliament for the sixth electoral period, 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.

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

tasks

the parliament has three substantial tasks:

• The legislative function divides with the advice of the European union, thus European laws take on (guidelines, regulations, decisions). The democratic authentication of the accepted texts is ensured by this co-operation at the legislation. The EP does not possess (still) Initiativrecht, thatdoes not mean it can own law collecting mains bring in; this is however in the discussed European condition intended. This Initiativrecht possesses the European commission on European Union level momentarily only. In most politics policies legal texts become after that since the contract of Nice Joint decision procedure accepted, 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 howeversmall. Since then the parliament of household powers possesses, is the portion of the agrarian expenditures of the European Union household (about 100 billion Euro in the year 2004) however of approximately 90% on under 50% sunk. For the financial year 2005 is an increase of the budget around 10% up109.5 billion Euro intended.
• It exercises democratic control of the commission . Before their appointment the parliament in committees examines the authority and integrity of the designate commissioners. It agrees the designation of the committees member and can a resignation that Commissioners by a vote of no confidence force. In addition it exercises political control of the Council of Ministers and the European advice, particularly outside of the framework of the EEC, where these institutions hold executive functions.

Altogether the parliament has substantial authority since its establishmentin addition won; this is however in the public little well-known. It is or only at the edge subject to curricula and often also in the media is represented not correctly, probably, because the situation is so complex.

OverTopics expert to treat to be able, specialize the delegates. They become from the parliamentary groups and/or. the group that parliamentary group lots in altogether 20 constant committees and 2 subs-committee sent, 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,of 78 members of the national parliaments consisted. 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 contracts those European Economic Community (EEC) as well as the European 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 are 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 hasits 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 (DC); 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 places?

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, those becameServices first settled 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 became final as seatconfirmed; 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, iton 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. It gave and always showsInitiatives of delegates to shift the seat. In addition however a contract modification and thus an agreement of all member states would be necessary.

Aktuelle Sitzverteilung

parliament to time of 732 members has 732 615846; they distribute themselves on seven parliamentary groups. 28 members are parliamentary groupless.

See also:

• List of the members 4. European parliament
• list of the members 5. European parliament
• list of the members 6. European parliament

European choice

the European parliament one selects every 5 years. The recent European choice found to 10., 11. and 13. June 2004 in all 25 member states instead of. The next choice is 2009 intended. The delegates reflect not allVotes equivalent again; small states were considered superproportionally many delegates during large states, in particular Germany, under proportional are. That changed slightly by the extension to the East in the 1. May 2004. Germany remains the far country with most mandates (99)and had contrary to the other nations no mandates to the designate delegates of the entry states to deliver. Nevertheless the unequal representation remains existing.

For this regulation the following criteria speak:

• It is to be ensured by a sufficient parliamentary group size that also the party varietythe smaller states in the European parliament one represents.
• With an appropriate weighting of the votes from the large countries the European parliament would not accept one any longer size able to work.
• The EUROPEAN UNION parliament is not a purely supranational institution. As in the Council of Ministers not everyoneMember state is equal (there large countries have more voices) therefore, then is equal with the parliamentary election not each vote.

For an equal treatment of the voters speaks:

• The basis rule of each democratic order is: each voice has same weight.
• The unequal treatment offends approximatelythe discrimination prohibition (kind. 12, 13 EEC contract; Kind. 21 European Union fundamental right Charter).
• The European parliament represents not states, but citizens. Therefore the relative preference of smaller states has to take place in the European Union Council of Ministers, not in the parliament.

European parliament parties and parliamentary groups 1979-2004

Election result

Germany

CDU 36.5% (- 2.8); SPD 21.5% (- 9.2); The GREEN 11.9% (+5,5); CSU 8.0% (- 1.4); Party of Democratic Socialism 6.1% (+0,3); FDP 6.1% (+3,0); REP 1.9% (+0.2%); An animal protection party 1.3% (+0,6); GREY 1.2% (+0,8); FAMILY 1.0% (+1,0); Remaining 3.5% (+1,9)

Austria

SPÖ 33.33% (+1,62); ÖVP 32.70% (+2,03); HPM would list 13.98% (+13,98); The Green 12.89% (+3,6); FPÖ 6.31% (- 17.09); Link to 0.78% (+0,78)

allocation of seats

Germany

CDU 40 (- 3); SPD 23 (- 10); The GREEN 13 (+6); CSU 9 (-1); Party of Democratic Socialism 7 (+1); FDP 7 (+7)

Austria

SPÖ 7; ÖVP 6 (- 1); Martin 2 (+2) would list ¹; The Green 2; FPÖ 1 (- 4)

1. Karin Resetarits left to 8. June 2005 the list HPM andthe liberals parliamentary group followed.

presidents of the European parliament

• 1962 to 1964: Gaetano Martino
• 1964 to 1965: Jean Duvieusart
• 1965 to 1966: Victor Leemans
• 1966 to 1969: Alain Poher
• 1969 to 1971: Mario Scelba
• 1971 to 1973: Walter Behrendt
• 1973 to 1975: Cornelis Berkhouwer
• 1975 to 1977: Georges Spénale
• 1977 to 1979: Emilio Colombo
• 1979 to 1982: Simone Veil
• 1982 to 1984: Piet thank ore
• 1984 to 1987: Pierre Pflimlin
• 1987 to 1989: Lord Plumb
• 1989 to 1992: Enrique Barón Crespo
• 1992 to 1994: Egon Klepsch
• 1994 to 1997: Klaus Hänsch
• 1997 to 1999: José Maria Gil Robles
• 1999 to 2002: NIC oils Fontaine
• 2002 to 2004: Pat Cox
• 2004 to 2006: Josep Borrell

Sakharov price

the Sakharov price is lent since 1985 by the European parliament at personalities or organizations, that use themselves for the defense of the human rights. ThatPrice is after [[Andrei Dmitriasch jewitsch Sakharov|Andrei Sakharov]] designated and with 50.000 euro endows. Among the winners so far among other things Leyla Zana, Aung San Suu Kyi, was Kofi Annan and the United Nations.

See also

• law-making of the EEC

Web on the left of

Wiktionary: European parliament - word origin, synonyms and translations

• line side of the European parliament
• information office for Germany
• Wahlrecht.de - European right to vote 2004
• European information center (EIZ) Lower Saxony: European Union message and - information
• of European citizen representatives
• animation Second Channel of German Television:The European parliament (Flash - animation)

organs of the European union and communities

European parliament | European commission | Advice of the European union | European advice | European Court of Justice | European audit office

authorities and agencies of the European union:
European agency forFlight safety | European agency for the security of the maritime traffic | European medicament agency | European authority for food security | European railway agency | European agency of supervision of fishery | European police academy | European environmental agency | European defense agency | European central bank | Eurojust | Euro pole | Euro act<p> Other institutions and mechanisms:
Committee of the regions | European citizen representative | European commisioner for data protection | European economic and social committee

coordinates: 48° 35 ' 51 " N, 7° 46 ' 6 " O