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European Affairs

Members of European Parliament

European Parliament Logo The European Parliament, which has 732 directly elected members (MEPs), including 78 from the UK, plays an increasingly important role in the legislative process.

The Parliament is consulted about major decisions and has substantial shared power with the Council of the European Union over the EC budget. In areas of legislation its role varies between:

consultation, where it can influence but does not have the final say in the content of legislation
co-operation and assent procedures, where its influence is greater
co-decision, introduced by the Maastricht Treaty and extended in the Amsterdam Treaty, where a proposal requires the agreement of both the Council and the European Parliament.

The Parliament meets in full session in Strasbourg for about one week every month, although its committee work normally takes place in Brussels.

Elections to the European Parliament take place every five years, with the next elections taking place in June 2009. In the UK, these are held under a proportional representation system which is used by the other Member States.

Some EC legislation is issued jointly by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, some by the Council and some by the Commission under delegated powers. It consists of Regulations, Directives and Decisions:

Regulations are directly applicable in all Member States and have the force of law without the need for implementing further measures
Directives are equally binding as to the result to be achieved, but allow each Member State to choose the form and method of implementation
Decisions, like Regulations, do not normally need national implementing legislation. They are binding on those to whom they are addressed.

Each Member State provides one of the judges to serve in the European Court of Justice, which is the final authority on all aspects of Community law. Its rulings must be applied by Member States and fines can be imposed on those failing to do so. The Court is assisted by a Court of First Instance, which handles certain cases brought by individuals and companies.

The UK is also represented on the Court of Auditors, which examines community revenue and expenditure, to see that it is legally received and spent.