Thursday, August 06, 2009
[IWS] CRS: THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT [22 July 2009]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
The European Parliament
Kristin Archick, Specialist in European Affairs
Derek E. Mix, Analyst in European Affairs
July 22, 2009
http://opencrs.com/getfile.php?rid=82255
[full-text, 14 pages]
Summary
On June 4-7, 2009, the 27 member countries of the European Union (EU) held elections for the
European Parliament (EP). The European Parliament is one of the three key institutions of the
European Union, and the only EU institution whose members are directly elected. Members of
the European Parliament (MEPs) serve five-year terms. Once limited to being a consultative
assembly, the EP has accumulated more power over timeit performs important functions in the
EU's legislative and budgeting processes, and exercises supervision over the two other main EU
institutions, the Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers) and the European
Commission.
Although it does not formally initiate EU legislation, the EP has "co-decision" power in about
three-quarters of EU legislation, giving it the right to amend or reject proposals. The Lisbon
Treaty, if ratified, would increase the EP's role further, giving it amendment and veto authority
over the vast majority of EU legislation. Moreover, supporters argue, as the only directly elected
EU institution, the EP increasingly plays an important checks-and-balances role on behalf of
Europe's citizens. Supporters also claim that the EP's influence is even growing in strictly
consultative areas, such as the EU's common foreign policy, and that the EP has become an
important forum for debate on international issues.
Members of the European Parliament caucus according to transnational groups based on political
affiliation, rather than by nationality. No single group has ever held an absolute majority in the
European Parliament, making compromise and coalition-building important elements of the
legislative process. Following the June 2009 election, the center-right Group of the European
People's Party (EPP) and the re-named center-left group Progressive Alliance of Socialists and
Democrats in Europe (S&D) remain the two largest political groups. Every two-and-a-half years
(twice per parliamentary term), MEPs vote to elect a President of the European Parliament to lead
and oversee its work and to represent the EP externally. The EP has 20 standing committees that
are key actors in the adoption of EU legislation and 34 delegations that maintain international
parliament-to-parliament relations.
Although supporters point to the EP's growing institutional significance, the European Parliament
faces several challenges of public perception. Some skeptics contend that the EP lacks the
legitimacy of national parliaments and exercises little real power. Other analysts observe that the
complexity of the EU legislative process contributes to limited public interest and understanding
of the EP's role, leading in turn to a trend of declining turnout in European Parliament elections.
Another issue is whether MEPs reflect national or European interestsmany MEPs tend to
campaign on national rather than European issues and many voters view EP elections as a
national mid-term election. Criticism has also been directed at the costs incurred by what many
consider duplicate facilitieswhile much of the work of the EP takes place in Brussels, monthly
plenary meetings are held in Strasbourg, France, and administrative sections of the EP Secretariat
are based in Luxembourg.
Ties between the EP and the U.S. Congress are long-standing, and the Transatlantic Legislators'
Dialoguethe formal mechanism for EP-Congressional exchangesis expected to continue its
activities during the 111th Congress. Also see CRS Report RS21372, The European Union:
Questions and Answers, by Kristin Archick and Derek E. Mix.
Contents
June 2009 European Parliament Election.....................................................................................1
Role of the European Parliament .................................................................................................2
Legislative Process................................................................................................................3
Budgetary Process.................................................................................................................4
Supervision and Oversight Responsibilities ...........................................................................4
Organization of the European Parliament ....................................................................................5
Political Groups ....................................................................................................................5
The EP President...................................................................................................................7
Committees..........................................................................................................................8
Delegations ...........................................................................................................................8
Administration ......................................................................................................................8
Location...............................................................................................................................8
Languages............................................................................................................................8
Challenges .................................................................................................................................9
The European Parliament and the U.S. Congress .......................................................................10
Tables
Table 1. Political Groups and Seats in the European Parliament: Results of the 2009 Election .......6
Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 11
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
The European Parliament
Kristin Archick, Specialist in European Affairs
Derek E. Mix, Analyst in European Affairs
July 22, 2009
http://opencrs.com/getfile.php?rid=82255
[full-text, 14 pages]
Summary
On June 4-7, 2009, the 27 member countries of the European Union (EU) held elections for the
European Parliament (EP). The European Parliament is one of the three key institutions of the
European Union, and the only EU institution whose members are directly elected. Members of
the European Parliament (MEPs) serve five-year terms. Once limited to being a consultative
assembly, the EP has accumulated more power over timeit performs important functions in the
EU's legislative and budgeting processes, and exercises supervision over the two other main EU
institutions, the Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers) and the European
Commission.
Although it does not formally initiate EU legislation, the EP has "co-decision" power in about
three-quarters of EU legislation, giving it the right to amend or reject proposals. The Lisbon
Treaty, if ratified, would increase the EP's role further, giving it amendment and veto authority
over the vast majority of EU legislation. Moreover, supporters argue, as the only directly elected
EU institution, the EP increasingly plays an important checks-and-balances role on behalf of
Europe's citizens. Supporters also claim that the EP's influence is even growing in strictly
consultative areas, such as the EU's common foreign policy, and that the EP has become an
important forum for debate on international issues.
Members of the European Parliament caucus according to transnational groups based on political
affiliation, rather than by nationality. No single group has ever held an absolute majority in the
European Parliament, making compromise and coalition-building important elements of the
legislative process. Following the June 2009 election, the center-right Group of the European
People's Party (EPP) and the re-named center-left group Progressive Alliance of Socialists and
Democrats in Europe (S&D) remain the two largest political groups. Every two-and-a-half years
(twice per parliamentary term), MEPs vote to elect a President of the European Parliament to lead
and oversee its work and to represent the EP externally. The EP has 20 standing committees that
are key actors in the adoption of EU legislation and 34 delegations that maintain international
parliament-to-parliament relations.
Although supporters point to the EP's growing institutional significance, the European Parliament
faces several challenges of public perception. Some skeptics contend that the EP lacks the
legitimacy of national parliaments and exercises little real power. Other analysts observe that the
complexity of the EU legislative process contributes to limited public interest and understanding
of the EP's role, leading in turn to a trend of declining turnout in European Parliament elections.
Another issue is whether MEPs reflect national or European interestsmany MEPs tend to
campaign on national rather than European issues and many voters view EP elections as a
national mid-term election. Criticism has also been directed at the costs incurred by what many
consider duplicate facilitieswhile much of the work of the EP takes place in Brussels, monthly
plenary meetings are held in Strasbourg, France, and administrative sections of the EP Secretariat
are based in Luxembourg.
Ties between the EP and the U.S. Congress are long-standing, and the Transatlantic Legislators'
Dialoguethe formal mechanism for EP-Congressional exchangesis expected to continue its
activities during the 111th Congress. Also see CRS Report RS21372, The European Union:
Questions and Answers, by Kristin Archick and Derek E. Mix.
Contents
June 2009 European Parliament Election.....................................................................................1
Role of the European Parliament .................................................................................................2
Legislative Process................................................................................................................3
Budgetary Process.................................................................................................................4
Supervision and Oversight Responsibilities ...........................................................................4
Organization of the European Parliament ....................................................................................5
Political Groups ....................................................................................................................5
The EP President...................................................................................................................7
Committees..........................................................................................................................8
Delegations ...........................................................................................................................8
Administration ......................................................................................................................8
Location...............................................................................................................................8
Languages............................................................................................................................8
Challenges .................................................................................................................................9
The European Parliament and the U.S. Congress .......................................................................10
Tables
Table 1. Political Groups and Seats in the European Parliament: Results of the 2009 Election .......6
Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 11
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 6:03 AM
