NationMaster - Encyclopedia: European Union Parliament

The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary body of the European Union. Together with the Council of the European Union it forms the legislative branch of the Union. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Council of the European Union (French: Le Conseil de lUnion europÃ©enne, German: Rat der EuropÃ¤ischen Union) is a governing body that forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... This article or section should be merged with List of European Union-related topics The European Union has several institutions: The European Parliament The European Council The Council of the European Union (or Council of Ministers) The European Commission The European Court of Justice (incorporating the Court of First Instance...

The Parliament is the largest trans-national body of its kind, with an electorate of nearly half a billion. It has been directly elected since 1979, unlike similar European assemblies such as those of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Council of Europe and the Western European Union which are appointed. For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... Council of Europe Flag: used by the Council of Europe The Council of Europe () is an international organization of 46 member states in the European region (with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Cyprus also extending into Southwest Asia and Russia into North Asia). ... Membership 10 member states 6 associate member states 5 observer countries 7 associate partner countries Formation - Signed Treaty of Brussels - 17 March 1948 The Western European Union (WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization, established on the basis of the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 with the...

Although called a Parliament, the 785 MEPs have an unequal relationship with the Council, for example not having full codecision procedure in many areas and neither body can initiate legislation. It has however had control over the EU budget since the 1970s and has control over the appointment of the European Commission. Union law is limited to specific policy areas, however it does override national law. A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... 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 European Union legislative procedure describes the way the European Union creates and enacts legislation across the community. ... The European Union (EU) has an independent parliament and civil service which is distinct from those of the 25 member states. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ...

The President of the European Parliament is elected for two and a half years and is currently Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP), presiding over 785 MEPs elected in the 2004 European Elections. The President of the European Parliament oversees all the activities of the European Parliament and its constituent bodies. ... Prof. ... Logo of the European Peoples Party The European Peoples Party is a Christian democrat-conservative political party at European level founded in 1976. ... 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. ...

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2609x1404, 366 KB) Description: The European Parliament in Strasbourg (France) Source: created/photographed by myself Photographer/illustrator: Felix Koenig (King) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Strasbourg... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2609x1404, 366 KB) Description: The European Parliament in Strasbourg (France) Source: created/photographed by myself Photographer/illustrator: Felix Koenig (King) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Strasbourg... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) City Statistics Land areaÂ¹ 78. ...

Composition

The European Parliament represents around 496 million citizens of the EU. Its members are known as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). 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, 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. ... FranÃ§ois-Xavier Ortoli, Romano Prodi, JosÃ© 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 europÃ©enne, German: Rat der EuropÃ¤ischen 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. ... The President of the European Parliament oversees all the activities of the European Parliament and its constituent bodies. ... Prof. ... 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 thenâ€“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. ... Political Groups in the European Parliament combine the MEPs from European political parties, informal European political blocs, and independents, into powerful coalitions. ... The Standing Committees of the European Parliament are designed to aid the European Commission in initiating legislation. ... Official emblem of the European Court of Justice The Court of Justice of the European Communities, usually called the European Court of Justice (ECJ), is the highest court of the European Union (EU). ... 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 >â‚¬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 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) and has grown to 27 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. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ... Elections in the European Union gives information on election and election results in the European Union. ... A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ...

MEPs are elected every 5 years by universal adult suffrage. Since January 1, 2007, there are 785 MEPs due to the accession of Romania and Bulgaria but this will drop 736 after the next election. Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, or economic or social status. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... The Kegon school of Buddhism arrives in Japan via Korea, when RÅben invites the Korean monk Simsang to lecture, and formally founds Japans Kegon tradition in the TÅdaiji temple. ... Elections to the European Parliament will be held in June 2006 in the thenâ€“27 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ...

Elections take place across several days according to local custom and, aside from having to be proportional, the electoral system is chosen by the member-state. Seats are allocated to member-states according to their population with no state having more than 99 but no less than 5.

The most recent elections to the European Parliament were the European elections of 2004, held in June of that year. They were the largest simultaneous transnational elections ever held anywhere in the world, since nearly 400 million citizens were eligible to vote. The proportion of MEPs elected in 2004 who were female was 30.2%, in 1979 it was just 16.5%. 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. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by the Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ...

Apportionment, or reapportionment, is the process of determining representation in politics within a legislative body by creating constituencies. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bulgaria_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Denmark. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Slovakia_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland_corrected_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Romania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lithuania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Latvia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Slovenia_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Czech_Republic_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cyprus_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Greece. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Estonia_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hungary. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Luxembourg. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malta_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Location of the British Overseas Territories (British Antarctic Territory and Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus not shown) A British Overseas Territory is one of fourteen[1] territories which are under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but not considered part of the United Kingdom itself. ... The UK Sovereign Base Areas are those British military base areas located in countries formerly ruled by the United Kingdom which were retained by it and not handed over when those countries attained independence. ... Crown dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United Kingdom. ...

Political groups and parties

MEPs in the Parliament are currently organised into 8 different political groups with 15 non-aligned members, known as non-inscrits. Political Groups in the European Parliament combine the MEPs from European political parties, informal European political blocs, and independents, into powerful coalitions. ... 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. ...

These groups are not by definition European political parties, but are in some cases or contain European political parties. For example the EPP-ED group is composed of the European People's Party and the European Democrats. EPP-ED logo The European Peoples Party - 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). ...

These European parties are themselves composed primarily of national parties (Such as the British Conservative Party being a member of the European Democrats) and include parties not currently elected or even currently outside the European Union. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see European Democrats (disambiguation). ...

Hence the make up of the Parliaments groups are more fluid, with national or European parties easily able to switch between groups which often occurs after elections or an enlargement.

Powers and functions

In some respects, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers resemble the upper and lower houses of a bicameral legislature. Neither the Parliament nor the Council may initiate EU legislation, only the Commission can do so, and in this respect the European Parliament is different from most national legislative assemblies. The European Union legislative procedure describes the way the European Union creates and enacts legislation across the community. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 3884 KB) [edit] Summary The inside of the European Pariament in Brussels in January 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 3884 KB) [edit] Summary The inside of the European Pariament in Brussels in January 2006. ... In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ...

However, once a proposal for an EU law or directive has been introduced by the Commission, it must usually be approved by both Parliament and Council in order to come into force. The Parliament may amend and block legislation in those policy areas that fall under the codecision procedure, which currently make up about three-quarters of EU legislative acts. Remaining policy areas fall under either the assent procedure or (in a very few cases) the consultation procedure; under the former Parliament may veto but not amend proposals, while under the latter it has only a formal right to be consulted. The Parliament controls the EU budget, which must be approved by the Council in order to become law. 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. ... 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. ... The codecision procedure is the main legislative procedure by which law can be adopted in the European Community, the first of the three pillars of the European Union. ... The assent procedure is one of the legislative procedures of the European Community, the 1st of the Three pillars of the European Union. ... The Consultation procedure is one of the legislative procedures of the European Community, the 1st of the three pillars of the European Union. ... The Council of the European Union (French: Le Conseil de lUnion europÃ©enne, German: Rat der EuropÃ¤ischen Union) is a governing body that forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ...

The President of the European Commission is chosen by the European Council, but must be approved by Parliament before he or she can assume office. The remaining members of the Commission are then appointed by the President, subject to approval of Parliament. Parliament accepts or rejects the Commission (except the President) as a whole. Image File history File linksMetadata European-parliament-strasbourg-inside. ... Image File history File linksMetadata European-parliament-strasbourg-inside. ... FranÃ§ois-Xavier Ortoli, Romano Prodi, JosÃ© Manuel Barroso and Jacques Delors The President of the European Commission is notionally the highest ranking unelected official within the European Union bureaucracy. ... 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. ...

The European Parliament exerts a function of democratic supervision over all of the EU's activities, particularly those of the Commission. If the Parliament adopts a motion of censure, the entire Commission must resign (formally, Commissioners cannot be censored individually). However, a motion of censure must be approved by at least a two-thirds majority in order to have effect.

Parliament also appoints the European Ombudsman. The European Ombudsman (or sometimes Euro-Ombudsman) is an ombudsman for the European Union. ...

Under the proposed new Constitution for Europe, Parliament's powers would be enhanced, with almost all policy areas coming under co-decision, greater powers of democratic scrutiny for Parliament, and control over the whole EU budget. The constitutional treaty as signed in Rome on 29 October 2004 by representatives of the EU member states The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE), commonly referred to as the European Constitution, was an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...

Organisation

The European Parliament has a number of governing bodies and committees, and a number of delegations to external bodies.

The President of the European Parliament oversees all the activities of the European Parliament and its constituent bodies. ... The President of the European Parliament oversees all the activities of the European Parliament and its constituent bodies. ... The Conference of Presidents consists of the President of Parliament and the chairmen of the political groups (who may arrange to be represented by a member of their group) The Conference of Presidents meets approximately twice a month. ... Five Quaestors in the European Parliament look after the interests of Members of the European Parliament. ... Political Groups in the European Parliament combine the MEPs from European political parties, informal European political blocs, and independents, into powerful coalitions. ...

List of committees

Internal affairs The Standing Committees of the European Parliament are designed to aid the European Commission in initiating legislation. ...

External affairs The Committee on Budgets (BUDG) is a committee within the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ... The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ... The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) is a committee within the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) is a committee within the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Regional Development (REGI) is a committee within the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union-related stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ... The Committee on Fisheries (PECH) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union-related stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ... [[]]See Cult (disambiguation) if this is not what you were looking for. ... The Committee on Legal Affairs of the European Parliament is preparing many crucial decisions of the Europen Parliament. ... The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) is a standing committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Womens Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) is a committee of the European Parliament. ... The Committee on Petitions (PETI) is a committee of the European Parliament. ...

Committee on Foreign Affairs is a title used by several governments to refer to committees on/of foreign affairs, foreign relations, or international relations. ... The Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) is a subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament. ... The Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is a subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament Categories: European Union-related stubs | Committee on Foreign Affairs (EU) ... The Committee on Development (Commission du dÃ©veloppement, DEVE) is a standing committee of the European Parliament responsible for promoting, implementing and monitoring the development and cooperation policy of the European Union, notably talks with developing countries; aid to developing countries; and promotion of democratic values, good governance and human... The Committee on International Trade (INTA) is a committee of the European Parliament Categories: European Union-related stubs | Committees of the European Parliament ...

History

The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) established a 'Common Assembly' in September 1952, its 78 members drawn from the six national Parliaments of the ECSC's constituent nations. This was expanded in March 1958 to also cover the European Economic Community and Euratom, and the name European Parliamentary Assembly was adopted. The body was renamed to the European Parliament in 1962. In 1981 the parliament's membership was expanded again and its members began to be directly elected for the first time. Thereafter the membership of the European Parliament has simply expanded whenever new nations have joined; the membership was adjusted upwards in 1994 after German reunification. Recent treaties, including the Treaty of Nice and the proposed Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, set a cap on membership at 750. Nickname: The Capital Of Europe, Comic City City of a 100 Museums[] Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area - City 162 (Region) kmÂ² (62. ... Members of the European Coal and Steel Community The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded in 1951 (Treaty of Paris), by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to pool the steel and coal resources of its member-states. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three 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 European Atomic Energy Community, or EURATOM, is an international organisation composed of the members of the European Union. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) German reunification (German: ) took place on October 3, 1990, when the areas of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR, in English commonly called East Germany) were incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, in English... Treaty of Nice The Treaty of Nice is a treaty adopted in Nice by the European Council to amend the two founding treaties of the European Union: the Treaty on European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, which introduced the Euro and the 3-pillar structure of the EU; the Treaty of... The constitutional treaty as signed in Rome on 29 October 2004 by representatives of the EU member states The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE), commonly referred to as the European Constitution, was an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...

Location

The Parliament is based in three different cities. A protocol attached to the Treaty of Amsterdam requires that monthly sessions be held in Strasbourg, which is the Parliament's official seat, while extra sessions as well as committees are held in Brussels. Luxembourg hosts the Secretariat of the European Parliament. City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) City Statistics Land areaÂ¹ 78. ... It has been suggested that oneseat. ... The Amsterdam Treaty (in full: Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts) which was signed on October 2, 1997, and entered into force on May 1, 1999, made substantial changes to the Treaty on European Union which... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) City Statistics Land areaÂ¹ 78. ... Nickname: The Capital Of Europe, Comic City City of a 100 Museums[] Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area - City 162 (Region) kmÂ² (62. ... The secretariat of the European Parliament is the administrative body of the European Parliament. ...

As Strasbourg is the official seat, the Parliament is sometimes informally referred to as the 'Strasbourg Parliament', and Strasbourg as the democratic (opposed to bureaucratic) capital of Europe. But for practical reasons, preparatory legislative work and committee meetings take place in Brussels.

There is a strong movement to establish Brussels as the sole seat as the other political institutions (the European Commission, European Council and Council of the European Union) are located there and hence is treated as the 'capital' of the EU. However despite a, million signature petition there has been little sign of change due to opposition from France. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ... 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. ... The Council of the European Union (French: Le Conseil de lUnion europÃ©enne, German: Rat der EuropÃ¤ischen Union) is a governing body that forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital â€” although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of capital) is the principal city or town associated with a countrys government. ...

Contents

Composition

Political groups and parties

Powers and functions

Organisation

List of committees

History

Location

See also

External links

Contents

Composition GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Political groups and parties

Powers and functions

Organisation

List of committees

History

Location

See also

External links

Composition