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European Parliament

European Parliament – Legislative (Lower House)

The European Parliament (EP) forms one half of the EU’s legislature (the other half is the Council of the European Union). The 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected by EU citizens every five years on the basis of proportional representation. Although MEPs are elected on a national basis, they sit according to political groups rather than their nationality. Each country has a set number of seats and is divided into sub-national constituencies where this does not affect the proportional nature of the voting system.

The Parliament and the Council of the European Union pass legislation jointly in nearly all areas under the ordinary legislative procedure. This also applies to the EU budget. Finally, the Commission is accountable to Parliament, requiring its approval to take office, having to report back to it and subject to motions of censure from it. The President of the European Parliament carries out the role of speaker in parliament and represents it externally.

The EP President and Vice Presidents are elected by MEPs every two and a half years.

  • acts together with the Council as a legislator
  • shares with the Council the budgetary power and decides in the last instance on the general budget of the EU
  • exerts the democratic control over EU institutions including the European Commission and appoints the Commission members
  • based and plenary sessions in Strasbourg, General Secretariat in Luxembourg, primarily meets in Brussels

 

 

Country Population Joined MEPs Total Contribution Net Contribution
 €millions          (%) €millions
Austria 8,205,533 Jan 1, 1995 18 2,308.4         (2.19) 478.30
Belgium 10,584,534 Jan 1, 1958 21 4,035.3         (3.83) -1,589.80
Bulgaria 7,262,675 Jan 1, 2007 17 -360.60
Cyprus 792,604 May 1, 2004 6 144.6            (0.14) -95.00
Czech Republic 10,220,911 May 1, 2004 21 932.4            (0.89) -397.60
Denmark 5,484,723 Jan 1, 1973 13 2,130.9        (2.02) 629.00
Estonia 1,307,605 May 1, 2004 6 100.7           (0.10) -199.20
Finland 5,244,749 Jan 1, 1995 13 1,544.8        (1.47) 264.40
France 64,057,790 Jan 1, 1958 74 17,303.1    (16.44) 3,806.90
Germany 82,369,548 Jan 1, 1958 96 22,218.4    (21.11) 9,976.00
Greece 10,722,816 Jan 1, 1981 21 1,882.6        (1.79) -4,951.10
Hungary 9,930,915 May 1, 2004 21 1,003.1        (0.95) -839.10
Ireland 4,156,119 Jan 1, 1973 11 1,341.3        (1.27) -1,120.50
Italy 58,145,321 Jan 1, 1958 73 14,359.5    (13.64) 3,437.20
Latvia 2,245,423 May 1, 2004 8 115.2           (0.11) -287.40
Lithuania 3,565,205 May 1, 2004 11 222.0           (0.21) -577.80
Luxembourg 486,006 Jan 1, 1958 6 241.4           (0.23) -953.40
Malta 403,352 May 1, 2004 6 57.4             (0.05) -99.60
Netherlands 16,645,313 Jan 1, 1958 26 5,552.9       (5.28) 3,362.50
Poland 38,500,696 May 1, 2004 51 2,099.1       (1.99) -3,206.50
Portugal 10,676,910 Jan 1, 1986 21 1443.0        (1.37) -2,191.80
Romania 22,246,862 Jan 1, 2007 32 -693.10
Slovakia 5,455,407 May1 , 2004 13 393.1          (0.37) -303.10
Slovenia 2,007,711 May 1, 2004 8 300.0          (0.29) -106.00
Spain 40,491,051 Jan 1, 1986 54 8,957.3       (8.51) -3,925.70
Sweden 9,045,389 Jan 1, 1995 20 2,832.9       (2.69) 1,259.50
United Kingdom 60,943,912 Jan 1, 1973 73 13,739.9   (13.05) 5,445.70
Total ~ 503,492,041 751 105,259.50

 

 

 

List of Current UK MEP’s

 

Name Constituency National Party EP Group
Richard Ashworth South East England      Conservative Party      ECR
David Campbell Bannerman East of England      Conservative Party      ECR
Daniel Dalton West Midlands      Conservative Party      ECR
Nirj Deva South East England      Conservative Party      ECR
Ian Duncan Scotland      Conservative Party      ECR
Vicky Ford East of England      Conservative Party      ECR
Jacqueline Foster North West England      Conservative Party      ECR
Ashley Fox South West England      Conservative Party      ECR
Julie Girling South West England      Conservative Party      ECR
Daniel Hannan South East England      Conservative Party      ECR
Syed Kamall London      Conservative Party      ECR
Saj Karim North West England      Conservative Party      ECR
Timothy Kirkhope Yorkshire and the Humber      Conservative Party      ECR
Andrew Lewer East Midlands      Conservative Party      ECR
Emma McClarkin East Midlands      Conservative Party      ECR
Anthea McIntyre West Midlands      Conservative Party      ECR
Kay Swinburne Wales      Conservative Party      ECR
Charles Tannock London      Conservative Party      ECR
Geoffrey Van Orden East of England      Conservative Party      ECR
Amjad Bashir Yorkshire and the Humber      Conservative Party      ECR
Diane Dodds Northern Ireland      Democratic Unionist Party      NI
Jean Lambert London      Green Party       Greens–EFA
Molly Scott Cato South West England      Green Party       Greens–EFA
Keith Taylor South East England      Green Party       Greens–EFA
Lucy Anderson London      Labour Party      S&D
Paul Brannen North East England      Labour Party      S&D
Richard Corbett Yorkshire and the Humber      Labour Party      S&D
Seb Dance London      Labour Party      S&D
Anneliese Dodds South East England      Labour Party      S&D
Neena Gill West Midlands      Labour Party      S&D
Theresa Griffin North West England      Labour Party      S&D
Mary Honeyball London      Labour Party      S&D
Richard Howitt East of England      Labour Party      S&D
Afzal Khan North West England      Labour Party      S&D
Jude Kirton-Darling North East England      Labour Party      S&D
David Martin Scotland      Labour Party      S&D
Linda McAvan Yorkshire and the Humber      Labour Party      S&D
Clare Moody South West England      Labour Party      S&D
Claude Moraes London      Labour Party      S&D
Siôn Simon West Midlands      Labour Party      S&D
Catherine Stihler Scotland      Labour Party      S&D
Derek Vaughan Wales      Labour Party      S&D
Julie Ward North West England      Labour Party      S&D
Glenis Willmott East Midlands      Labour Party      S&D
Catherine Bearder South East England      Liberal Democrats      ALDE
Jill Evans Wales      Plaid Cymru      Greens–EFA
Ian Hudghton Scotland      Scottish National Party      Greens–EFA
Alyn Smith Scotland      Scottish National Party      Greens–EFA
Martina Anderson Northern Ireland      Sinn Féin      EUL-NGL
Stuart Agnew East of England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Tim Aker East of England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Jonathan Arnott North East England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Janice Atkinson South East England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Gerard Batten London      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Louise Bours North West England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Jim Carver West Midlands      UK Independence Party      EFDD
David Coburn Scotland      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Jane Collins Yorkshire and the Humber      UK Independence Party      EFDD
The Earl of Dartmouth South West England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Bill Etheridge West Midlands      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Nigel Farage South East England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Ray Finch South East England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Nathan Gill Wales      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Roger Helmer East Midlands      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Mike Hookem Yorkshire and the Humber      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Diane James South East England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Paul Nuttall North West England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Patrick O’Flynn East of England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Margot Parker East Midlands      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Julia Reid South West England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Jill Seymour West Midlands      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Steven Woolfe North West England      UK Independence Party      EFDD
Jim Nicholson Northern Ireland      Ulster Unionist Party      ECR

Former members[edit]

 

MEPs Renumeration

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT In the European Parliament, staff of the political groups can be employed as “temporary agents”, jobs from which they can be dismissed with three months` notice. In reality, many “temporary agents” remain in their posts for years and even decades. MEPs  Members of the European Parliament have been paid the same amount in …

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