How we work

 back to previous page

With the European Parliament

As the largest political group in a Parliament where non-socialist parties now enjoy a clear majority, the EPP Group is in a stronger position than any other to set that body's political agenda and to win its most critical votes. This strength is reflected in the fact that, since 1999, the EPP Group has been on the winning side of more votes than any other group in the European Parliament's monthly plenary sessions.

Strength of numbers also ensures that EPP Group Members hold a range of key positions within the Parliament - including the Parliament's Presidency, 5 of its Vice-Presidencies, Chairmanships of 10 of the EP's 22 committees or subcommittees, and 2 of its 5 Quaestorships. Within the parliamentary committees, EPP Group Members are best placed to secure the right to author the EP's position on key pieces of draft legislation and other major reports: the Group gets more of these "rapporteurships" on more important subjects, than any other group.

The task of the European Parliament, which is elected every five years by direct universal suffrage, lies in exercising democratic control over the decision-making process in the European Union on behalf of Europe's citizens.

Composition: there are 736 Members of the European Parliament, representing close to 500 million Europeans:

	Member State	EP July 2009	EPP Group July 2009
	Belgium	22	5
	Bulgaria	17	6
	Czech Republic	22	2
	Denmark	13	1
	Germany	99	42
	Estonia	6	1
	Ireland	12	4
	Greece	22	8
	Spain	50	23
	France	72	29
	Italy	72	35
	Cyprus	6	2
	Latvia	8	3
	Lithuania	12	4
	Luxembourg	6	3
	Hungary	22	14
	Malta	5	2
	Netherlands	25	5
	Austria	17	6
	Poland	50	28
	Portugal	22	10
	Romania	33	14
	Slovenia	7	3
	Slovakia	13	6
	Finland	13	4
	Sweden	18	5
	United Kingdom	72	-
	TOTAL	736	265

Powers:
Parliament's powers have increased appreciably since the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957 - even more so following the entry-into-force of the Lisbon treaty in December 2009. The Parliament legislates, controls the EU Budget and supervises the European Commission and its activities.

The European Parliament has its official seat in Strasbourg (France), where it meets in plenary for one week a month. Two other working places of the Parliament are Luxembourg, where some of the secretariat is situated, and Brussels (Belgium), where the political groups and parliamentary committees meet, and where a large part of the secretariat is situated. Additional two-day plenary sittings are also held in Brussels.