1. The European Parliament is the directly elected
parliamentary institution of the European Union .
Together with the Council of the European Union
(the Council) and the European Commission, it
exercises the legislative function of the EU.

2.  It has been directly elected every five years by
universal suffrage since 1979.
 The President of the European Parliament is
Martin Schulz (S&D), elected in January 2012.
He presides over a multi-party chamber: the two
largest groups are the Group of the European
People's Party (EPP) and the Progressive
Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D).
 The last union-wide elections were the 2009
Parliamentary Elections.

3.  The European Parliament has three places of
work – Brussels (Belgium), Luxembourg and
Strasbourg (France). Luxembourg is home to the
administrative offices (the 'General Secretariat').
Meetings of the whole Parliament ('plenary
sessions') take place in Strasbourg and in
Brussels. Committee meetings are held in
Brussels.

4. European Parliament, Strasbourg, France.

5. European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium.

6. General Secretariat of the European
Parliament, Luxembourg.

7.  the Parliament have not the power of legislative
initiative. In Community matters, this is a power
uniquely reserved for the European Commission
(the executive). Parliament can amend and reject
legislation. To make a proposal for legislation, it
needs the Commission to draft a bill before
anything can become law.
 With each new treaty, the powers of the
Parliament, in terms of its role in the Union's
legislative procedures, have expanded.

8.  The legislative branch officially holds the Union's
budgetary authority.
 The President of the European Commission is
proposed by the European Council on the basis of
the European elections to Parliament. That
proposal has to be approved by the Parliament
(by a simple majority) who "elect" the President
according to the treaties. Following the approval
of the Commission President, the members of the
Commission are proposed by the President in
accord with the member-states.

9.  The Parliament also has the power to censure the
Commission if they have a two-thirds majority
which will force the resignation of the entire
Commission from office.

10. European elections 2009
Blue: Europe's People
Party.
Red: Socialist.
Orange: Liberals.
Green:
Conservatives.
50: number of
member
Of parliament elected
In every country.

11. Political groups.
 EPP - European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
 S&D - Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in Europe
(centre-left)
 ALDE - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (liberal)
 EUL/NGL - European United Left-Nordic Green Left (left-wing)
 Greens/EFA - Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens and
regionalists/nationalists)
 ECR - European Conservatives and Reformists Group (right-
wing)
 EFD - Europe of Freedom and Democracy (Eurosceptic)
 NA - Non-attached (MEPs not part of any group)

12. European Parliament. Elections 2009.

13. The European Parliament now has seven political groups. The
two largest are the centre-right European People’s Party and the
Socialists & Democrats.
 Joseph Paul, head of
the European People’s
Party/European
Democrats (EPP-ED)
in the European
Parliament.
Joseph Paul, France.

14. Martin Schultz (Germany)
 In 2004 he was first
elected leader of the
Socialist group,
after the 2009
elections he was
confirmed as the
leader of the
Socialists and
Democrats in the
EP.

15. Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats for Europe (ALDE).
 In June 2009 he was
elected to the EP for
the first time.
Guy Verhofstadt (Flanders, Belgium)

16. European Conservatives and
Reformists Group
 Michal Kaminski
(Poland). Elected by
Law and Justice
Party.

17. Confederal Group of the European
United Left - Nordic Green Left
 Lothar Bisky
(Germany).

18. Europe of Freedom and Democracy
Group
 Francesco Speroni
(Italy) is co-Chair with
Nigel Farage (UK).
Speroni (elected by Lega Nord Party and
Farage elected by United Kingdom
Independence
Party

19. Greens/ European Free Alliance
 Daniel Cohn-Bendit
(France).
 Rebecca Harms
(Germany).

20. 20th March, 2014, survey.
 This projection of seats
in the European
Parliament is based on a
non exhaustive collection
of weekly European and
national polls carried out
in the 28 EU member
states.
 The final and official
composition of the new
European Parliament
will only be known by its
constitutive session on 1-
3 July 2014.