Monday, May 19, 2014

What the Parliament has done for you over the past five years


As Parliament gets ready to embark on a new legislative term following the elections on 22-25 May, we take a look back on what has been achieved in the current one. In its seventh term, from 2009 until June this year, the EP has enjoyed greater power than ever before. For the first time it could decide on the full EU budget, as well as on big international trade agreements and nearly all EU legislation, on an equal footing with national governments represented in the EU Council.


Over the past five years the EU has faced various challenges, including the world-wide financial crisis. The EU also welcomed Croatia as its latest member state in 2013, increasing the number of MEPs from 754 to 766.

It also proved to be a very hectic period for the Parliament, as demonstrated by the following figures:

  • 28 member states, 24 official languages
  • 20 committees, two subcommittees and three temporary committees (committees of inquiry)
  • 2,821 committee meetings, during which 2,110 reports were adopted
  • 491 public hearings on issues concerning Europeans
  • 260 days of plenary, 23,551 votes, 21,298 adopted and 22,692 rejected amendments, 2,790 acts adopted of which 1,071 legislative acts
  • MEPs tabled 58,840 written questions to other EU institutions
  • 98 meetings with national parliaments
  • 1,557 meetings to negotiate with the Council and the European Parliament

MEPs also adopted many important legislative proposals, such as an end to roaming charges by 2015 as well as plans to strengthen passenger rights, approving measures paving the way for a banking union in the EU as well as improved pension rights and supporting a tobacco directive with new measures to curb smoking. In addition it rejected the ACTA and SWIFT agreements in order to protect Europeans' rights.

The Parliament also proved very popular with visitors: some 1.4 million people paid a visit in 2009-2013, while its visitors centre already welcomed nearly 800,000 visitors by 12 May of this year.
[europarl.europa.eu]
19/5/14

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