European Union

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Three pillars Pillar I: European Community Pillar II: Common Foreign and Security Policy Pillar III: Police and Judicial Cooperation Political institutions Commission President  (José Barroso) Barroso Commission Council of Ministers and European Council Presidency  (Finland) Parliament President  (Josep Borrell) MEPs Constituencies Elections 2009 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania only) 2004 / by country Political groups Committees Judiciary Court of Justice List of members Court of First Instance Civil Service Tribunal Finance auditing European Court of Auditors Financial bodies European Central Bank European Investment Bank European Investment Fund Advisory bodies Economic and Social Committee Committee of the Regions Decentralised bodies Agencies of the EU Law Acquis communautaire Procedure Treaties Regulations · Directives · Decisions Recommendations · Opinions EU-related topics Economic and monetary union Enlargement Foreign relations Pan-European political parties Table of affiliated parties by country Party affiliations on the Council

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Political Groups in the European Parliament combine the MEPs from European political parties, informal European political blocs, and independents, into powerful coalitions. Each group must consist of no less than 19 MEPs from five different EU member states. The Treaty of Maastricht which established the European Union, divided EU policies into three main areas, called pillars. ... The European Community (EC), most important of two European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... The Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP, german Gemeinsame Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik (GASP), was established as the second of the three pillars of the European Union in the Maastricht treaty of 1992, and further defined and broadened in the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997. ... Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters is the third of the three pillars of the European Union, focusing on co-operation in law enforcement and combating racism. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ... François-Xavier Ortoli, Romano Prodi, José Manuel Barroso and Jacques Delors The President of the European Commission is notionally the highest ranking unelected official within the European Union bureaucracy. ... This article needs to be updated. ... The Barroso Commission is the European Commission that has been in office since 22 November 2004 and is due to serve until 31 October 2009. ... The Council of the European Union (French: Le Conseil de lUnion européenne, German: Rat der Europäischen Union) is a governing body that forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ... Presidency of the Council of the European Union refers to the responsibility of presiding over all aspects of the Council of the European Union, when exercised collectively by a government, on a pre-established rota of the member states, of the European Union. ... Sign in the entrance of the European Parliament building in Brussels, written in all the official languages used in the European Union as of July 2006 The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The debating chamber, or hemicycle, in Strasbourg The European Parliament building in Brussels The European Parliament (formerly European... The President of the European Parliament oversees all the activities of the European Parliament and its constituent bodies. ... Josep Borrell Josep Borrell Fontelles (born April 24, 1947) is a Spanish politician. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... In five European Union Member States (Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom), the national territory is divided into a number of constituencies for European elections. ... Elections in the European Union gives information on election and election results in the European Union. ... Elections to the European Parliament will be held in June 2006 in the then–27 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ... In early 2007, Bulgaria and Romania will elect their members of the European Parliament for the first time. ... Elections to the European Parliament were held from June 10, 2004 to June 13, 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ... The Standing Committees of the European Parliament are designed to aid the European Commission in initiating legislation. ... The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is formally known as the Court of Justice of the European Communities, i. ... As of August 17, 2006: Categories: | | | ... The Court of First Instance, created in 1989, is a court of the European Union. ... European Union Civil Service Tribunal, since December 2, 2005 a new specialised tribunal within the European Union institutional framework. ... The European Court of Auditors is one of five institutions of the European Union. ... Headquarters Frankfurt, Germany Established 1 January 1998 President Jean-Claude Trichet Central Bank of Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain Currency Euro -ISO 4217 Code EUR Reserves >€4 billion Base borrowing rate 4. ... The European Investment Bank (the Banque Européenne dInvestissement) is the European Unions financing institution and was established under the Treaty of Rome (1957) to provide loan finance for capital investment furthering European Union policy objectives, in particular regional development, Trans-European Networks of transport, telecommunications and energy... The European Investment Fund, established in 1994, is a European Union agency for the provision of finance to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). ... The European Unions Economic and Social Committee is the consultative assembly of European social and economic partners. This phrase refers mainly to representatives of business, employers and trade unions. ... The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is an institution of the European Union created by the Treaty of Maastricht. ... The agencies of the European Union (or decentralised bodies of the European Union) are bodies which are distinct from the European Unions institutions, in that they have not been created by the treaties but rather by acts of secondary legislation, in order to accomplish a very specific task. ... The European Union is unique among international organisations in having a complex and highly developed system of internal law which has direct effect within the legal systems of its member states. ... The French term acquis (or sometimes acquis communautaire) is used in European Union law to refer to the total body of EU law accumulated so far. ... The European Union legislative procedure describes the way the European Union creates and enacts legislation across the community. ... The treaties of the European Union are effectively its constitutional law, making up the EUs primary legislation. ... A directive is a legislative act of the European Union which requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. ... A European Union decision (defined in Article 249/EC) is one of the three binding instruments provide by secondary EU legislation. ... In European Union Law a recommendation Differs from regulations, directives and decisions, in that they are not binding for Member States. ... The European Union is unique among international organisations in having a complex and highly developed system of internal law which has direct effect within the legal systems of its member states. ... // Origins of the EU History of the European Union European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Euratom Single market. ... In economics, a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency among them. ... The European Union (EU) was originally created by six founding states in 1958 (following the earlier establishment by the same six states of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952), but has grown to its current size of 25 member states. ... Foreign relations of the European Union Foreign relations of Austria Foreign relations of Belgium Foreign relations of Cyprus Foreign relations of the Czech Republic Foreign relations of Denmark Foreign relations of Estonia Foreign relations of Finland Foreign relations of France Foreign relations of Germany Foreign relations of Greece Foreign relations... A European political party, formally a political party at European level, sometimes informally (especially in academic circles) a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe. ... The majority of major political parties in Europe have aligned themselves into the pan-European political organisations listed below. ... The member-states of the European Union by the European party affiliations of their leaders, as of April, 2006. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Sign in the entrance of the European Parliament building in Brussels, written in all the official languages used in the European Union as of July 2006 The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The debating chamber, or hemicycle, in Strasbourg The European Parliament building in Brussels The European Parliament (formerly European... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... A European political party, formally a political party at European level, sometimes informally (especially in academic circles) a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe. ... A coalition is an alliance among entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... // The flag of the Council of Europe and the European Union. ...

Each group appoints a "group co-ordinator", charged with the task of deciding which way the group should vote in Parliament. It is worth noting, however, that no member is bound by this decision, and there is no official punishment incurred for voting against the party group, such as the "whips" often employed in national governments. In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ...

The Party groups decide what issues will be dealt with at the Plenary session of the European Parliament, and can propose amendments to reports that are to be voted on. Plenary session is a term often used in conferences to define the part of the conference when all members of all parties are in attendance. ... Sign in the entrance of the European Parliament building in Brussels, written in all the official languages used in the European Union as of July 2006 The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The debating chamber, or hemicycle, in Strasbourg The European Parliament building in Brussels The European Parliament (formerly European...

As an example of how these groups can benefit European political parties, the European Greens - European Free Alliance group has 42 members, but only 5 of these are from the European Free Alliance. The other 37 are from the European Greens. This coalition means both parties have more power in the European Parliament than they would have as stand-alone parties, thus bringing their causes much-needed additional support. Logo of the European Federation of Green Parties - EFA The European Greens – European Free Alliance (The Greens - European Free Alliance; Greens - EFA; French: Le Groupe Verts - Alliance libre européenne; Les Verts - ALE, German Fraktion der Grünen/Freie Europäische Allianz) is one of the parliamentary groups in the... The European Free Alliance (EFA) is a grouping of various political parties in Europe who believe in either full political independence (statehood), or some form of devolution or self-government for their country or region. ... European Greens (or the European Green Party) is the name of the European Green Party, a political party at European level. ...

European Parliament standings, to December 31, 2006

European Parliament standings, January 1, 2007 - The European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats is a group in the European Parliament. ... The European Peoples Party (EPP) is the largest European political party. ... For other uses, see European Democrats (disambiguation). ... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well... ALDE logo The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (French: Alliance des Démocrates et des Libéraux pour lEurope) is a Group in the European Parliament. ... The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (founded in 1993) is a liberal party, active in the European Union, uniting liberal and centrist parties around Europe which together represent more than 20 million European voters and is an international non-profit association incorporated under the laws of Belgium. ... For the eurosceptic informal grouping, see European Democrats. ... UEN logo The Union for Europe of the Nations is a nationalist and (mostly) euro-sceptic party grouping with seats in the European Parliament. ... The Alliance for Europe of the Nations is a pan-European political party that gathers nationalist parties from across the continent. ... EUDemocrats (EUD) is an alliance of parties, movements and political organisations operating as a transnational Party at a European level (European political party), and incorporating members from both the centre-left and the centre-right. ... Logo of the European Federation of Green Parties - EFA The European Greens – European Free Alliance (The Greens - European Free Alliance; Greens - EFA; French: Le Groupe Verts - Alliance libre européenne; Les Verts - ALE, German Fraktion der Grünen/Freie Europäische Allianz) is one of the parliamentary groups in the... European Greens (or the European Green Party) is the name of the European Green Party, a political party at European level. ... The European Free Alliance (EFA) is a grouping of various political parties in Europe who believe in either full political independence (statehood), or some form of devolution or self-government for their country or region. ... GUE-NGL logo The European United Left–Nordic Green Left is a socialist and communist political grouping within the European Parliament. ... The European Left party is a political party at European level and an association of socialist and communist political parties in the European Union. ... The Nordic Green Left Alliance (NGLA) is a green and socialist political party at the European level founded in Reykjavík on February 1, 2004. ... IND/DEM logo The Independence and Democracy (IND/DEM) group, formed July 20, 2004 is a euro-sceptic political group with 36 MEPs in the European Parliament. ... The Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe (most commonly represented in French, as Alliance des Démocrates Indépendants en Europe) is an apparent European political party, whose existence is claimed by both itself and by the EUDemocrats[1]. Little, however, is known about the composition of the ADIE or... EUDemocrats (EUD) is an alliance of parties, movements and political organisations operating as a transnational Party at a European level (European political party), and incorporating members from both the centre-left and the centre-right. ... Non-Inscrits (English: Non-Attached; the English name is also official, but the French name is prevalent even in English texts) are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the political groups. ...

^† - Group not yet formally established; this is expected mid-January. Members will be treated as Non-Attached until then. The European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats is a group in the European Parliament. ... The European Peoples Party (EPP) is the largest European political party. ... For other uses, see European Democrats (disambiguation). ... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well... ALDE logo The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (French: Alliance des Démocrates et des Libéraux pour lEurope) is a Group in the European Parliament. ... The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (founded in 1993) is a liberal party, active in the European Union, uniting liberal and centrist parties around Europe which together represent more than 20 million European voters and is an international non-profit association incorporated under the laws of Belgium. ... For the eurosceptic informal grouping, see European Democrats. ... UEN logo The Union for Europe of the Nations is a nationalist and (mostly) euro-sceptic party grouping with seats in the European Parliament. ... The Alliance for Europe of the Nations is a pan-European political party that gathers nationalist parties from across the continent. ... EUDemocrats (EUD) is an alliance of parties, movements and political organisations operating as a transnational Party at a European level (European political party), and incorporating members from both the centre-left and the centre-right. ... Logo of the European Federation of Green Parties - EFA The European Greens – European Free Alliance (The Greens - European Free Alliance; Greens - EFA; French: Le Groupe Verts - Alliance libre européenne; Les Verts - ALE, German Fraktion der Grünen/Freie Europäische Allianz) is one of the parliamentary groups in the... European Greens (or the European Green Party) is the name of the European Green Party, a political party at European level. ... The European Free Alliance (EFA) is a grouping of various political parties in Europe who believe in either full political independence (statehood), or some form of devolution or self-government for their country or region. ... GUE-NGL logo The European United Left–Nordic Green Left is a socialist and communist political grouping within the European Parliament. ... The European Left party is a political party at European level and an association of socialist and communist political parties in the European Union. ... The Nordic Green Left Alliance (NGLA) is a green and socialist political party at the European level founded in Reykjavík on February 1, 2004. ... IND/DEM logo The Independence and Democracy (IND/DEM) group, formed July 20, 2004 is a euro-sceptic political group with 36 MEPs in the European Parliament. ... The Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe (most commonly represented in French, as Alliance des Démocrates Indépendants en Europe) is an apparent European political party, whose existence is claimed by both itself and by the EUDemocrats[1]. Little, however, is known about the composition of the ADIE or... EUDemocrats (EUD) is an alliance of parties, movements and political organisations operating as a transnational Party at a European level (European political party), and incorporating members from both the centre-left and the centre-right. ... Euronat (also known as EuroNet and Euro-Nat) is/was an effort by Jean-Marie Le Pen of Front National to gather all the Euronationalist parties of Europe. ... Non-Inscrits (English: Non-Attached; the English name is also official, but the French name is prevalent even in English texts) are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the political groups. ...

See also

European Parliament Political Groups

Category:European Parliament party groups for a list.

Pan-European political organisations
Recognized by the EU as "political parties at European level":
European Democratic Party | EUDemocrats | European Free Alliance | European Green Party | Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe | Party of the European Left | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party | Alliance for Europe of the Nations | European People's Party | Party of European Socialists Image File history File links European_flag. ... A European political party, formally a political party at European level, sometimes informally (especially in academic circles) a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe. ... For the eurosceptic informal grouping, see European Democrats. ... EUDemocrats (EUD) is an alliance of parties, movements and political organisations operating as a transnational Party at a European level (European political party), and incorporating members from both the centre-left and the centre-right. ... The European Free Alliance (EFA) is a grouping of various political parties in Europe who believe in either full political independence (statehood), or some form of devolution or self-government for their country or region. ... European Greens (or the European Green Party) is the name of the European Green Party, a political party at European level. ... The Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe (most commonly represented in French, as Alliance des Démocrates Indépendants en Europe) is an apparent European political party, whose existence is claimed by both itself and by the EUDemocrats[1]. Little, however, is known about the composition of the ADIE or... The European Left party is a political party at European level and an association of socialist and communist political parties in the European Union. ... The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (founded in 1993) is a liberal party, active in the European Union, uniting liberal and centrist parties around Europe which together represent more than 20 million European voters and is an international non-profit association incorporated under the laws of Belgium. ... The Alliance for Europe of the Nations is a pan-European political party that gathers nationalist parties from across the continent. ... The European Peoples Party (EPP) is the largest European political party. ... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well...
Other pan-European confederations of national political parties:
European Anticapitalist Left | European Christian Political Movement | European Democrat Union | Euronat | European National Front | Nordic Green Left Alliance | Movement for European Reform The European Anti Capitalist Left (EACL) is an informal network for European anticapitalist left wing parties with a certain representativeness. ... The European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) is an European political association for reflection and working on Christian-democratic politics in Europe from an explicit Christian Social view. ... The European Democrat Union is the European wing of the International Democrat Union. ... Euronat (also known as EuroNet and Euro-Nat) is/was an effort by Jean-Marie Le Pen of Front National to gather all the Euronationalist parties of Europe. ... European National Front is a coordinating structure of European far-right nationalist movements. ... The Nordic Green Left Alliance (NGLA) is a green and socialist political party at the European level founded in Reykjavík on February 1, 2004. ... The Movement for European Reform is a pan-European alliance of national political parties founded on 13 July 2006, intended to group forces of the center-right in favour of free market policies and critical of further European integration. ...
Dedicated European-level-only parties:
Europe — Democracy — Esperanto | Europe United | Newropeans Europe — Democracy — Esperanto or E° D° E° (EDE) (in Esperanto: EÅ­ropo — Demokratio — Esperanto) is an electoral list, which participates in the European elections. ... Europe United is an emerging pan-European, pro-European and federalist political party, currently registered in Denmark. ... The Newropeans, founded in 2005, claim to be the first truly pan-european political party (while Europe United makes the same claim). ...
Political groups in the European Parliament
EPP–ED (264+13) | PES (200+18) | ALDE (90+16) | UEN (44) | Greens–EFA (42) | EUL–NGL (41) | IND/DEM (23) • 28+6 MEPs are not attached to any political group • Sign in the entrance of the European Parliament building in Brussels, written in all the official languages used in the European Union as of July 2006 The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The debating chamber, or hemicycle, in Strasbourg The European Parliament building in Brussels The European Parliament (formerly European... Image File history File links European_Parliament_6th_term. ... The European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats is a group in the European Parliament. ... The Party of European Socialists (PES) (French: Parti socialiste européen (PSE); German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Europas (SPE); Spanish: Partido socialista europeo (PSE); Italian: Partito socialista europeo (PSE)) is a European political party whose members are 30 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well... ALDE logo The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (French: Alliance des Démocrates et des Libéraux pour lEurope) is a Group in the European Parliament. ... UEN logo The Union for Europe of the Nations is a nationalist and (mostly) euro-sceptic party grouping with seats in the European Parliament. ... Logo of the European Federation of Green Parties - EFA The European Greens – European Free Alliance (The Greens - European Free Alliance; Greens - EFA; French: Le Groupe Verts - Alliance libre européenne; Les Verts - ALE, German Fraktion der Grünen/Freie Europäische Allianz) is one of the parliamentary groups in the... GUE-NGL logo The European United Left–Nordic Green Left is a socialist and communist political grouping within the European Parliament. ... IND/DEM logo The Independence and Democracy (IND/DEM) group, formed July 20, 2004 is a euro-sceptic political group with 36 MEPs in the European Parliament. ... Non-Inscrits (English: Non-Attached; the English name is also official, but the French name is prevalent even in English texts) are Members of the European Parliament who do not sit in one of the political groups. ...
(+x numbers refer to Romanian and Bulgarian observers, who will be MEPs effective January 1, 2007; I/S/T will also be established in January 2007.)
Related articles: table of political parties in Europe by pancontinental organisation, elections in the European Union, party composition of the council January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The majority of major political parties in Europe have aligned themselves into the pan-European political organisations listed below. ... Elections in the European Union gives information on election and election results in the European Union. ... The member-states of the European Union by the European party affiliations of their leaders, as of April, 2006. ...