European Parliament

Question 1

What’s the role of the European Parliament?

Answer 1

Directly-elected EU body with legislative, supervisory, and budgetary responsibilities

Question 2

Members of the European Parliament

Answer 2

751 MEPs (Members of the European Parliament)

Question 3

European Parliament president

Answer 3

Antonio Tajani

Question 4

When was the European Parliament established

Answer 4

1952

Question 5

What was the European Parliament originally?

Answer 5

Common assembly of the European coal and steel community (1952)
European Parliament (1962)
First directed election in 1979

Question 6

Where is the European Parliament located?

Answer 6

Strasbourg (France)
Brussels (Belgium)
Luxembourg

Question 7

The European Parliament is

Answer 7

the EU’s law-making body.

Question 8

The European Parliament is directly elected by

Answer 8

EU voters every 5 years

Question 9

The European Parliament has three main roles

Answer 9

Legislative
Supervisory
Budgetary

Question 10

European Parliament: Legislative

Answer 10

Passing EU laws, together with the Council of the EU, based on European Commission proposals
Deciding on international agreements
Deciding on enlargements
Reviewing the Commission’s work programme and asking it to propose legislation

Question 11

European Parliament: Supervisory

Answer 11

Democratic scrutiny of all EU institutions
Electing the Commission President and approving the Commission as a body.
Granting discharge
Examining citizens’ petitions and setting up inquiries
Discussing monetary policy with the European Central Bank
Questioning Commission and Council
Election observations

Question 12

European Parliament: Budgetary

Answer 12

Establishing the EU budget, together with the Council

Approving the EU’s long-term budget, the “Multiannual Financial Framework”

Question 13

The number of MEPs for each country is

Answer 13

roughly proportionate to its population, but this is by degressive proportionality: no country can have fewer than 6 or more than 96 MEPs and the total number cannot exceed 751

Question 14

MEP’s are grouped by

Answer 14

Political affiliation, not by nationality

Question 15

The President represents Parliament to

Answer 15

other EU institutions and the outside world and gives the final go-ahead to the EU budget.

Question 16

How does the Parliament work?

Answer 16

Parliament’s work comprises two main stages:

1. Committees
2. Plenary sessions

Question 17

European Parliament: committees are there to

Answer 17

To prepare legislation

Question 18

European Parliament: plenary sessions are there to

Answer 18

To pass legislation

Question 19

Committees

Answer 19

The Parliament numbers 20 committees and two subcommittees, each handling a particular policy area. The committees examine proposals for legislation, and MEPs and political groups can put forward amendments or propose to reject a bill. These issues are also debated within the political groups.

Question 20

Plenary sessions

Answer 20

This is when all the MEPs gather in the chamber to give a final vote on the proposed legislation and the proposed amendments. Normally held in Strasbourg for four days a month, but sometimes there are additional sessions in Brussels.