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Updated May 6, 2022
The European Parliament and U.S. Interests
A Key EU Institution
Political Groups
The European Parliament (EP) is the only directly elected
Once elected, MEPs caucus according to political ideology
institution of the 27-country European Union (EU). The
rather than nationality. A political group must contain at
EP’s 705 members represent the EU’s roughly 445 million
least 23 MEPs from a minimum of seven EU countries.
citizens. The most recent EP elections were in May 2019.
Currently, the EP has seven political groups—containing
The EP has accumulated more power over time as part of
almost 200 national political parties—that span the political
EU efforts to improve democratic accountability and
spectrum, as well as a number of “non-attached” or
transparency in EU policymaking. Enhanced powers since
independent MEPs (see Figure 1). Although the majority of
the 2009 Lisbon Treaty have made the EP a more important
MEPs hail from political parties that support the EU
actor on several issues of U.S. concern, including trade,
project, some belong to parties considered to be anti-
data privacy, and counterterrorism. Congress-EP ties are
establishment and euroskeptic—that is, critical of the EU or
long-standing, and Congress may be interested in EP
anti-EU to varying degrees. Most euroskeptic parties are on
activities given the EP’s potential to influence key aspects
the right or far right (and are predominantly nationalist and
of U.S.-EU relations.
anti-immigration), but a few are on the left or far left.
Role and Responsibilities
No single group in the EP has an absolute majority, making
The EP plays a role in the EU’s legislative and budget
compromise and coalition-building key features of the EP’s
processes and has a degree of oversight responsibility. The
legislative process. Historically, the center-right European
EP works closely with the two other main EU institutions:
People’s Party (EPP) and the center-left Progressive
the European Commission, which represents the interests of
Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European
the EU as a whole and functions as the EU’s executive, and
Parliament (S&D) have tended to dominate the EP by
the Council of the European Union (or the Council of
cooperating in unofficial “grand coalitions.” At the same
Ministers), which represents the interests of the EU’s
time, voting blocs may vary on specific pieces of
national governments.
legislation. The relative size of the political groups also
helps to determine EP leadership and committee posts.
Although the European Commission has the right of
EP Leadership, Committees, and Delegations
legislative initiative, the EP shares legislative power with
MEPs elect a president of the European Parliament every
the Council of Ministers in most policy areas, giving the EP
two-and-a-half years (twice per parliamentary term). The
the right to accept, amend, or reject the vast majority of EU
president oversees the work of the EP and represents it
laws (with some exceptions, such as taxation and most
externally. Roberta Metsola, a Maltese MEP from the EPP,
aspects of foreign policy). Both the EP and the Council of
was elected as EP president in January 2022. The EP has 20
Ministers must approve a European Commission proposal
standing committees that are key actors in the adoption of
for it to become EU law in a process known as the ordinary
EU legislation. In terms of their importance and power, EP
legislative procedure or co-decision. The EP also must
committees rival those in the U.S. Congress and surpass
approve the accession of new EU member states (or a
member state’s withdrawal) and has the right to approve or
those in most national European legislatures. Each
committee considers legislative proposals put forward by
reject international accords, including EU trade agreements.
the European Commission that fall within its jurisdiction
The EP decides how to allocate the EU’s budget jointly
and issues a recommendation to the full EP on whether to
with the Council of Ministers (although neither the EP nor
adopt, amend, or reject the proposed legislation. The EP
the Council of Ministers can affect the size of the EU’s
also may establish temporary committees on specific issues
annual budget, which is fixed as a percentage of the EU’s
or committees of inquiry on breaches of EU law. The EP
plays a role in the EU’
combined gross national income). In addition, the EP has a
s international presence with 44
supervisory role over the European Commission and some
delegations that maintain parliament-to-parliament relations
limited oversight over the activities of the Council of
throughout the world (including with the U.S. Congress).
Ministers. The EP monitors the management of EU
Location and Administration
policies, can conduct investigations and public hearings,
Strasbourg, France, is the official seat of the EP. This
and must approve each new slate of European
location, close to the border with Germany, symbolizes
Commissioners every five years.
Europe’s postwar reconciliation. Plenaries typically are
Structure and Organization
held in Strasbourg once per month, and committee meetings
and some part-plenary sessions occur in Brussels, Belgium.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) serve five-
A Secretariat of roughly 5,000 nonpartisan civil servants,
year terms. Voting for the EP takes place on a national
based in both Brussels and Luxembourg, provides
basis, with the number of MEPs elected in each EU country
based roughly on population size.
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The European Parliament and U.S. Interests
administrative and technical support. MEPs and political
groups also have their own staff assistants.
Figure 1. European Parliament Political Groups and Seats
Source: Graphic created by CRS, based on data from the European Parliament, as of May 3, 2022, at http://www.europarl.europa.eu/.
EP Elections
The United States, Congress, and the EP
In the May 2019 elections, the pro-EU center-right EPP and
With the Lisbon Treaty, the EP gained a more prominent
the center-left S&D retained their positions as the two
role in some aspects of U.S.-EU relations, particularly with
largest groups in the EP but lost their combined majority as
the right to approve or reject international agreements. In
euroskeptic, liberal, and green parties gained seats. The
2010, the EP initially rejected a U.S.-EU accord on
resulting fragmentation enhanced the influence of the
countering terrorist financing due to concerns about U.S.
centrist, liberal, pro-EU Renew Europe group. Voter
data privacy safeguards. The EP also would have to
concerns about climate change translated into an increase in
approve any future U.S.-EU free-trade agreement.
seats for the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA),
composed of pro-environment parties and leftist regional
More generally, the EP’s role in EU lawmaking may affect
parties (e.g., Catalonian, Corsican). Higher than average
certain U.S. political or economic interests. The EP was
voter turnout (51% in 2019 versus 43% in 2014) also
central to shaping the EU’s General Data Protection
helped boost support for these four pro-EU parties, which
Regulation, which applies to many U.S. companies doing
have a combined 495 seats (70%).
business in Europe. Many in the EP support new EU digital
rules aimed at promoting competition in the digital sector
Euroskeptic parties secured up to 25% of seats in 2019
and improving online platform monitoring, but some U.S.
(roughly the same percentage as in the previous EP), but
stakeholders are concerned that these measures could
hold a range of different policy views—including on EU
unfairly target large U.S. technology firms. Meanwhile, EP
reforms—and often have struggled to form a cohesive
wariness about an EU-China investment agreement because
opposition. The most stridently euroskeptic group in the EP
of China’s human rights and labor practices largely aligns
is Identity and Democracy (ID), an alliance of far-right
with concerns voiced by some U.S. officials (the EP froze
parties. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)
work on ratifying the agreement in 2021 following China’s
is considered a more moderately euroskeptic group. The
sanctioning of several EU entities and officials, including
Left group includes former communist parties and some
five MEPs). Many MEPs also express strong support for
far-left EU critics. The overall number of MEPs decreased
Ukraine’s territorial integrity, back robust EU sanctions
from 751 to 705 in January 2020 following the United
against Russia (although decisions on sanctions rest with
Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU (Brexit), but did not
the member states), and have called for ending the EU’s
significantly alter the balance of power within the EP.
dependence on Russian energy imports.
The next EP elections are due in May 2024. The EP has
Interparliamentary exchanges between Congress and the EP
long supported reforming EP electoral rules to bolster the
date back to the 1970s. The Transatlantic Legislators’
EP’s visibility and the EU’s overall democratic legitimacy.
Dialogue (TLD) has been the formal mechanism for
In early May 2022, the EP approved measures to establish
engagement between the U.S. House of Representatives and
28 pan-European MEPs, give voters a greater say in
the EP since 1999. TLD meetings are intended to take place
choosing the European Commission president, and further
twice a year to discuss various political and economic
harmonize electoral rules across the bloc. To take effect,
issues. Many MEPs have long argued for further enhancing
these changes must be approved unanimously by all EU
cooperation with Congress, and some U.S. analysts suggest
member states, many of which have opposed such reforms
it might be in U.S. interests for Congress to forge closer ties
in the past that they feared could decrease their influence
with the EP to help strengthen U.S.-EU relations and reduce
within the EU.
frictions. Others assess that structural and procedural
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The European Parliament and U.S. Interests
differences between Congress and the EP likely would
Kristin Archick, Specialist in European Affairs
impede more extensive legislative cooperation.
IF11211
Disclaimer
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