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Updated May 3, 2024
The European Parliament and U.S. Interests
A Key EU Institution
over 200 national political parties—that span the political
The European Parliament (EP) is the only directly elected
spectrum, as well as a number of “non-attached” or
institution of the 27-country European Union (EU). The
independent MEPs (see Figure 1). Although the majority of
EP’s current 705 members represent the EU’s nearly 450
MEPs hail from political parties that support the EU
million citizens. The EP has accumulated more power over
project, some belong to parties considered to be anti-
time (most recently with the 2009 Lisbon Treaty) as part of
establishment and euroskeptic—that is, critical of the EU or
EU efforts to improve democratic accountability and
anti-EU to varying degrees. Most euroskeptic parties in the
transparency in EU policymaking. Congress-EP ties are
EP are on the right or far right and hold predominantly
long-standing, and the EP’s potential to influence key
nationalist and anti-immigration views.
aspects of U.S.-EU relations—such as trade, data privacy,
digital policies, and counterterrorism—may be of interest to
No single group in the EP has an absolute majority, making
Congress. The next EP elections are expected in June 2024.
compromise and coalition-building key features of the EP.
Historically, the two largest groups—the center-right
Role and Responsibilities
European People’s Party (EPP) and the center-left
The EP plays a role in the EU’s legislative and budget
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the
processes and has a degree of oversight responsibility. The
European Parliament (S&D)—have tended to dominate the
EP works closely with the two other main EU institutions:
EP by cooperating in unofficial “grand coalitions.” At the
the European Commission, which represents the interests of
same time, voting blocs may vary on specific pieces of
the EU as a whole and functions as the EU’s executive, and
legislation. The relative size of the political groups also
the Council of the European Union (informally the Council,
helps determine EP leadership and committee posts.
or Council of Ministers), which represents the interests of
EP Leadership, Committees, and Delegations
the EU’s national governments. Although the European
MEPs elect a president of the European Parliament every
Commission has the right of legislative initiative, the EP
two-and-a-half years (twice per parliamentary term). The
shares legislative power with the Council of the EU in most
president oversees the work of the EP and represents it
policy areas, giving the EP the right to accept, amend, or
externally. Roberta Metsola, a Maltese MEP from the EPP,
reject the vast majority of EU laws (with some exceptions,
was elected as EP president in January 2022. The EP has 20
such as taxation and most aspects of foreign policy). Both
standing committees that are key actors in the adoption of
the EP and the Council of the EU must approve a European
EU legislation. In terms of their importance and power, EP
Commission proposal for it to become EU law in a process
committees rival those in the U.S. Congress and surpass
known as the ordinary legislative procedure or co-decision.
those in most national European legislatures. Each
The EP must approve the accession of new EU members
committee considers legislative proposals that fall within its
and international agreements (including on trade) and may
jurisdiction and recommends to the full EP whether to
issue nonlegislative resolutions (used, for example, to
adopt, amend, or reject the proposed legislation. The EP
provide opinions on foreign policy issues).
also may establish temporary committees on specific issues
With the Council of the EU, the EP decides how to allocate
or committees of inquiry on breaches of EU law. The EP
the EU’s annual budget (fixed as a percentage of the EU’s
plays a role in the EU’s international presence with 48
combined gross national income). The EP also has a
delegations that maintain parliament-to-parliament relations
supervisory role over the European Commission and some
throughout the world (including with the U.S. Congress).
limited oversight over the activities of the Council of the
Location and Administration
EU. The EP monitors EU policies, can conduct
The EP’s official seat is in Strasbourg, France (a location
investigations and public hearings, and must approve each
near Germany symbolic of postwar peace), where plenaries
new slate of European Commissioners every five years.
typically are held once per month. Committee meetings and
Structure and Organization
some part-plenary sessions occur in Brussels, Belgium. A
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) serve five-
Secretariat of over 7,000 nonpartisan civil servants and
year terms. Voting for the EP takes place on a national
contract staff, based in both Brussels and Luxembourg,
basis, with the number of MEPs elected in each EU country
provides administrative and technical support. MEPs and
based roughly on population size.
political groups also have their own staff assistants (around
3,000 personnel total). The EP faces some criticism that its
Political Groups
multiple locations entail a wasteful duplication of resources
Once elected, MEPs caucus according to political ideology
and sizeable commuting costs, as well as calls for greater
rather than nationality. A political group must contain at
transparency about MEPs’ office and travel expenses. The
least 23 MEPs from a minimum of seven EU countries.
EP tightened ethics rules in 2023 following the so-called
Currently, the EP has seven political groups—containing
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The European Parliament and U.S. Interests
Qatargate corruption scandal involving alleged bribes paid
to several MEPs and staffers that came to light in 2022.
Figure 1. European Parliament Political Groups and Seats (as of May 1, 2024)
Source: Created by CRS, based on European Parliament data, updated regularly, at https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/search/table.
EP Elections
The United States, Congress, and the EP
In the EP’s last elections in May 2019, the pro-EU center-
With the Lisbon Treaty, the EP gained a more prominent
right EPP and the center-left S&D retained their positions
role in some aspects of U.S.-EU relations, particularly with
as the two largest groups in the EP but lost their combined
the right to approve or reject international agreements. In
majority as euroskeptic, liberal, and green parties gained
2010, the EP initially rejected a U.S.-EU accord on
seats. The resulting fragmentation enhanced the influence
countering terrorist financing due to concerns about U.S.
of the centrist, liberal, pro-EU Renew Europe (RE) group.
data privacy safeguards; the EP subsequently approved this
Voter concerns about climate change translated into an
accord and other U.S.-EU information-sharing and data
increase in seats for the Greens/European Free Alliance
protection agreements. The EP also would have to approve
(Greens/EFA), composed of pro-environment parties and
a potential new U.S.-EU critical minerals agreement (aimed
leftist regional parties (e.g., Catalonian, Corsican). Higher-
at easing tensions over U.S. clean energy subsidies in P.L.
than-average voter turnout (51% in 2019 versus 43% in
117-169, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022).
2014) also helped boost support for these four pro-EU
More generally, the EP’s role in EU lawmaking may affect
parties, which currently hold a combined 491 seats (70%).
certain U.S. interests. The EP was central to shaping the
Euroskeptic parties in the EP have a range of different
EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, which applies to
policy views, including on EU reforms. The most stridently
many U.S. companies doing business in Europe. Some U.S.
euroskeptic group in the EP is Identity and Democracy
stakeholders (including in Congress) are concerned that
(ID), an alliance of far-right parties. The European
new EU digital rules approved by the EP to promote
Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) is considered a more
competition and improve online platform monitoring could
moderately euroskeptic group. The Left group includes
unfairly target U.S. firms. The EP also has approved new
former communist parties and some far-left EU critics.
legislation to regulate artificial intelligence. Meanwhile,
some MEPs express concerns about China’s human rights
The size of the next EP is set to increase to 720 MEPs
and labor practices; in 2021, the EP froze work on ratifying
following the elections scheduled for June 6-9, 2024. Polls
an EU-China investment agreement that some U.S. officials
suggest the EPP and S&D will remain the two largest
opposed. Many MEPs also support Ukraine and EU
groups in the next EP, RE and Greens/EFA will lose seats,
sanctions on Russia (although decisions on sanctions rest
and ECR and ID will gain. Although euroskeptic parties in
with the member states). Concerns exist in the EP about
the EP traditionally have struggled to forge a cohesive
some parties’ traditional ties to Russia and alleged attempts
opposition, an increase in euroskeptic MEPs could
by Russia, China, and others to influence some MEPs.
influence EP positions on key policies, such as migration,
climate action, or EU enlargement, especially if other
Interparliamentary exchanges between Congress and the EP
political groups embrace similar views. The EP elections
date back to the 1970s. The Transatlantic Legislators’
also may affect the European Commission’s leadership; EU
Dialogue (TLD) has been the formal mechanism for
member states must take the EP election results into
engagement between the U.S. House of Representatives and
account in choosing the next commission president and the
the EP since 1999. TLD meetings are intended to take place
EP maintains that the post should go to the “lead candidate”
twice a year to discuss various political and economic
of the political group that wins the most EP seats.
issues. Some MEPs and analysts have long argued for
further enhancing cooperation with Congress, suggesting
that closer ties could help strengthen U.S.-EU relations and
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The European Parliament and U.S. Interests
reduce frictions. At the same time, structural and procedural
Kristin Archick, Specialist in European Affairs
differences between Congress and the EP could pose
challenges to greater legislative cooperation. For more
IF11211
information on the EU and U.S. relations, see CRS Report
RS21372, The European Union: Questions and Answers.
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
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