European Union's Core Institutions: Parliament and Council

European Parliament: Role, Structure, and Functions

Directly elected by EU voters every five years, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent the citizens of the European Union. The Parliament stands as one of the EU’s primary law-making institutions, working in conjunction with the Council of the European Union.

Key Roles of the European Parliament

• Debating and passing European laws, in cooperation with the Council.
• Scrutinizing other EU institutions, particularly the European Commission, to ensure democratic accountability.
• Debating and adopting the EU's annual budget, alongside the Council.

Passing European Laws

The Parliament collaborates with the Council to determine the content of EU legislation and officially adopt new laws.

Democratic Supervision

Parliament exerts influence over other European institutions through various mechanisms, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Supervising the EU Budget

The Parliament, together with the Council of the European Union, adopts the EU’s annual budget, overseeing financial allocations and expenditures.

Composition of the European Parliament

The number of MEPs allocated to each country is roughly proportional to its population. Under the Lisbon Treaty, no country can have fewer than 6 or more than 96 MEPs.

European Parliament Locations

The European Parliament operates from three main places of work: Brussels (Belgium), Luxembourg, and Strasbourg (France).

European Council: Political Direction and Priorities

The European Council's role is twofold: it sets the EU's general political direction and priorities, and it addresses complex or sensitive issues that cannot be resolved at lower levels of intergovernmental cooperation.

While highly influential in shaping the EU's political agenda, the European Council does not possess powers to pass laws.

Composition of the European Council

The European Council brings together the heads of state or government of every EU country, the Commission President, and the European Council President, who chairs the meetings.

Herman Van Rompuy is the President of the European Council.

Meetings and Decision-Making

The European Council typically meets twice every six months, though its President can convene special meetings if necessary. Meetings usually take place in Brussels.

Decisions are generally made by consensus, unless the Treaties specify otherwise. In certain cases, decisions may be adopted by unanimity or by qualified majority, depending on the provisions of the Treaty.

Voting Rights in the European Council

The Presidents of the European Council and Commission, along with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, do not have voting rights.