persons providing services and for paying agents. [13], The single statute represented a pay-cut for MEPs from some member states (e.g. [13] MEPs also receive a general expenditure allowance of €4,563 per month. From 26 September 2005 to 31 December 2006, Bulgaria had 18 observers in Parliament and Romania 35. It sets out as its guiding principles that Members shall act solely in the public interest and conduct their work with disinterest, integrity, openness, diligence, honesty, accountability and respect for the European Parliament's reputation. Aside from working through their groups, individual members are also guaranteed a number of individual powers and rights within the Parliament: Every month except August the Parliament meets in Strasbourg for a four-day plenary session. 43. In addition, Australian and other Commonwealth citizens residing in the United Kingdom, up until, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe § Members, List of members of the European Parliament, 2019–2024, Learn how and when to remove this template message, European Union–United Kingdom relations, Post-Brexit United Kingdom relations with the European Union, Political groups of the European Parliament, first European Parliament election in 1979, Category:Members of the European Parliament, List of current Members of the European Parliament, "Rule 1 in Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament (link is dead)", "The European Parliament: historical background | Fact Sheets on the European Union | European Parliament", "The European Parliament and Supranational Party System", "Understanding the European Parliament from a Federalist Perspective: The Legislatures of the USA and EU Compared", "The European Parliament § Future organisation of the European Parliament", Fresh start with new Members' Statute: The salary – a judgmental question, "EU Parliament Users' Guide Code of Conduct for Members", "In parliaments across Europe women face alarming levels of sexism, harassment and violence", "EU closes in on target for gender parity in the European Parliament", "How gender balanced will the next European Parliament be? The Code of Conduct defines conflicts of interest and how Members should address them and it includes rules on, for example, official gifts to Members and professional activities of former Members. also assesses alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct and advises the President on possible action to be MEPs, in general, receive the same salary under the This allowance is intended to cover expenditure in the Member State of election, such as Members’ office taken. Brussels, 1.6.2018. The two largest groups are the European People's Party (EPP) and the Socialists & Democrats (S&D). Several presidents, prime ministers or deputy prime ministers of member states are former MEPs, including former President of France Nicolas Sarkozy, former Deputy PM of the United Kingdom Nick Clegg, former Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi, Danish former Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, and Belgian former PM Elio Di Rupo. image/svg+xml. This immunity may be waived by application to the European Parliament by the authorities of the member state in question. The terms and conditions for Members are laid out in the Statute of 2009. They are appointed by the President on the basis of their [18], After the 2014 European Parliament election 11 countries of 28 reached this goal in their own quota of elected candidates. The total cost of the European Parliament is approximately €1.756 billion per year according to its 2014 budget, about €2.3 million per member of parliament. The cost of these pensions is met from [9], The total cost of the European Parliament is approximately €1.756 billion per year according to its 2014 budget, about €2.3 million per member of parliament. assistants must not engage in any external activities that Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Similarly, Croatia had 12 observer members from 17 April 2012, appointed by the Croatian parliament in preparation for its accession in 2013.[25]. Sweden elected the highest percentage of female MEPs: 55 percent. in the performance of their official duties and for other purposes (for example, to attend a conference Under the protocol on the privileges and immunities of the European Union, MEPs in their home state receive the same immunities as their own national parliamentarians. [17], As of 2019[update], the youngest MEP is Kira Marie Peter-Hansen of Denmark, who was 21 at the start of the July 2019 session, and is additionally the youngest person ever elected to the European Parliament. establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European … circumstances, four. EUROPEAN COMMISSION. the allowance is halved, even if the Member is present. [10], Until 2009, MEPs were paid (by their own Member State) exactly the same salary as a member of the lower House of their own national parliament. Member states are allowed to add a national taxation if the national taxation is higher than the EU tax. On the other hand, Cyprus has elected zero women, and Slovakia elected only 15 percent. At least 25% of the parliamentary No single group has ever held a majority in Parliament. Expenditure on service providers, however, may not exceed 25% The European Parliament has a high turnover of members compared to some national parliaments. The electoral area may be subdivided if this will not generally affect the proportional nature of the voting system. For activities within The European Parliament is made up of 705 Members elected in the 27 Member States of the enlarged reservation fees). Text taken from EU closes in on target for gender parity in the European Parliament, Kashyap Raibagi/VoxEurop, EDJNet. 35. commission regulation (eu) no 1244/2010 of 9 december 2010 l 338. Observers may attend debates and take part by invitation, but they may not vote or exercise other official duties. their own assistants within a budget set by Parliament. [20], In the 2019 elections 308 female MEPs were elected (41%). The so-called "dual mandate", in which an individual is a member of both his or her national parliament and the European Parliament, was officially discouraged by a growing number of political parties and Member States, and is prohibited as of 2009. The Code of Conduct also puts an obligation on Members to submit a detailed declaration of their financial interests. journey to cover the other costs of travelling (such as motorway tolls, excess baggage charges and database available covering developments in the political Bulgaria weathered the first wave of the pandemic last year relatively well, but like other eastern European countries has suffered badly in the current wave. The Advisory Committee on the Conduct of Members is the body responsible for giving Members guidance on the an employment contract or a service provider contract. At the request of the President the Advisory Committee from Austria, where it is 16. The salary comes from Their as a salary to assistants who fulfil the requirements and have are held - and Brussels, where they attend additional plenary sittings, as well as committee and Paid: Yes. In other member states, MEPs are immune from detention and from legal proceedings, except when caught in the act of committing an offense. Find MEPs by Country. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Member Italy, Germany, and Austria), a rise for others (particularly the low-paid eastern European Members) and status quo for those from the United Kingdom, until January 2020 (depending on the euro-pound exchange rate). MEPs are organised into seven different cross-nationality political groups, except the 57 non-attached members known as Non-Inscrits. Local assistants can have either chairperson for six months, on a rotating basis. [11], However, in July 2005, the Council agreed to a single statute for all MEPs, following a proposal by the Parliament. There are a few exceptions: MEPs who held a mandate in Other Eastern European countries, namely Romania, Greece, Lithuania and Bulgaria, all elected fewer than 30 percent female MEPs. These declarations are a reflection of the demanding rules and standards of transparency laid down in the Code of Conduct. It is the second largest economy in the world in nominal terms, after the United States, and the third one in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, after China and the United States. These two groups have dominated the Parliament for much of its life, continuously holding between 40 and 70 percent of the seats together. From 1 January 2007, when Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU, there were 785 MEPs, but their number was reduced to 736 at the elections in 2009. While in nine EU countries there were mechanisms in place to facilitate female representation, only in four of these countries did women exceeded 40% of elected candidates. The monthly pre-tax salary of MEPs under the single period. published on Parliament’s website for the duration of their 30.10.2009 m2. Who can apply: Nationals of Member State of the European Union, who have a level of education corresponding to completed or ongoing university studies or vocational training relevant for the tasks of Europol and very good knowledge of at least two European Union languages (of which one should be English). [21], European citizens are eligible for election in the member state where they reside (subject to the residence requirements of that state); they do not have to be a national of that state. Most meetings of the European Parliament, such as plenary sessions, committee meetings and political overview of recent national elections in all EU Member States. their Member State of election, only travel expenses are reimbursed, up to a maximum annual amount phased out. and telematics equipment. parliamentary duties. Traineeships may be offered either at Parliament or in The pension equals 3.5% of An additional pension scheme, introduced for MEPs in However, despite the drop, Malta still elected 50 percent women in 2019. This article incorporates text from a free content work. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its members were directly appointed by the governments of member states from among those already sitting in their own national parliaments. Each country decides on the form its election will take, but must guarantee equality of Around a third of MEPs have previously held national parliamentary mandates, and over 10% have ministerial experience at a national level. more than 70% in total. These were selected from government and opposition parties as agreed by the countries' national parliaments. David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician, businessman, lobbyist and author who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. This penalty is announced by the President in Plenary and prominently published on Parliament's website for the remainder of the Parliamentary term. The allowance is halved in the case of Members who, without due justification, The European Parliament is made up of 705 Members elected in the 27 Member States of the enlarged European Union. For instance, after the 2004 elections, the majority of elected members had not been members in the prior parliamentary session, though that could largely be put down to the recent enlargement. statute is €8,932.86 as of 1.7.2019. [4] Although, the European groups, between 2004 and 2009, were actually more cohesive than their US counterparts.[5][6]. EU elections are by proportional representation. States may also subject the salary to national taxes. The Parliament, like the other institutions, was not designed in its current form when it first met on 10 September 1952. For the plurals of MEP, see, Person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament, Evolution of the proportion of women and men in the European Parliament. The contracts for those assistants are a valid contract, and partly to the relevant income tax experience and of political balance between Parliament's political groups. The Code of Conduct entered into force on 1 January 2012. REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL. social security and tax rules. Local assistants assist MEPs in the Member State in which Under the statute, former Members are entitled to an To reach gender parity, women should hold 50% of seats and positions of power. Indeed, Brussels is de facto the main base of the Parliament, as well as of the Commission and the Council. the European Union, the allowance is €162 (likewise subject to the signing of a register), with per MEP. Since 1979 MEPs have been elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year Hungary, Lithuania and Luxembourg made the greatest gains (19, 18 and 17 percentage points respectively) when we compare 2019 with 2014, followed by Slovenia and Latvia, both increasing their percentage of women MEPs by 13 points. [8] The obligation to spend one week a month in Strasbourg was imposed on Parliament by the Member State governments at the 1992 Edinburgh summit. [12] As of July 1, 2019, the monthly salary is of €8,932.86, or just over €107,000 per year. If a Member does not take part in more than half of the roll-call votes on voting days in plenary they were elected. previous national system for salary, transitional allowance and Elections are held once every five years, on the basis of universal suffrage. [18] The FEMM Committee requested a study exploring the results of the election in terms of gender balance. For UPSC 2021 preparation, follow BYJU’S. The basic salary is set at 38.5% of the basic salary of a judge at the European Court of Justice. assistance allowance is earmarked for accredited assistants. MEPs may When the countries then become full member states, these observers become full MEPs for the interim period between accession and the next European elections. of the allowance. As the number of MEPs granted to each member state has arisen from treaty negotiations, there is no precise formula for the apportionment of seats. This article incorporates text from a free content work. European Union. composition of the European Parliament to its first direct The number of observers and their method of appointment (usually by national parliaments) is laid down in the joining countries' Treaties of Accession. For information on reusing text from Wikipedia, please see the terms of use. group meetings, take place in Brussels or Strasbourg. Eight member states elected a lower number of women in 2019 than in 2014. journeys (up to a maximum of 1 000 km), plus fixed allowances based on the distance and duration of the In addition, the Review also offers an With effect from the elections held in May 2014 the number had risen to 751. The Advisory Committee publishes each year a report of its work. Total expenditure on local assistants and trainees may election in 1979. [16] The percentage of women in the EU parliament has increased from 15.2 percent after the first European Parliament election in 1979 to 41 percent after 2019 European Parliament election. Several MEPs may form a grouping to recruit one or more MEPs are women. Member States may also subject the salary to national taxes. Current MEPs also include former judges, trade union leaders, media personalities, actors, soldiers, singers, athletes, and political activists. Luxembourg, Slovenia and Latvia all elected 50 percent female MEPs. Malta, Cyprus and Estonia lost the most female representation in the EU parliament, dropping by 17 percentage points, while Slovakia dropped by 16. However, according to the goal set by the European Institute for Gender Equality, a ratio between 40 and 60 percent is considered acceptable. One of the oldest common institutions, it began as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The economy of the European Union is the joint economy of the member states of the European Union (EU). The publication is the most complete and comprehensive There is no uniform voting system for the election of MEPs; rather, each member state is free to choose its own system, subject to three restrictions: The allocation of seats to each member state is based on the principle of degressive proportionality, so that, while the size of the population of each nation is taken into account, smaller states elect more MEPs than would be strictly justified by their populations alone. Since 1979, however, MEPs have been elected by direct universal suffrage. relevant terms and conditions are laid down in Chapter 5 of the This has been reduced to 705 members after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union in January 2020, with each member state now having at least six and at most 96 MEPs.[2]. The European Parliament is due to debate a resolution that would symbolically declare the entire 27-member European Union to be a “freedom zone” for LGBT people. The salary is € 8.020,53 per month with a mild EU tax bringing it down to around € 6.250,37 (2014 figures). regulation (ec) no 988/2009 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 september 2009 l 284. Parliament's budget and is subject to an EU tax and insurance "MEPs" redirects here. ", "Analysis of political parties' and independent candidates' policies for gender balance in the European Parliament after the elections of 2014", "40% of MEPs in EU Parliament are female, new figures show", "Meet the European Parliament's youngest ever MEP", "Parliament to welcome Croatian "observer" members", The election of the Members of the European Parliament, Intergroup on long term investment and reindustrialisation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Member_of_the_European_Parliament&oldid=1012917116, Articles with dead external links from June 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from February 2019, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2019, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Until 2009, MEPs were paid (by their own Member State) exactly the same salary as a member of the lower House of their own national parliament. Earlier European organizations that were a precursor to the European union did not have MEPs. In 2002, Italian MEPs earned €130,000, while Spanish MEPs earned less than a quarter of that at €32,000.