EU elections will be held from June 6 to 9. This videographic explains how the European Parliament works. VIDEOGRAPHIC
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Parliament is the only directly elected body in the European Union.
00:10The number of seats varies depending on the EU population and the entry or exit of member
00:16states.
00:17In 2024, 720 members of European Parliament, called MEPs, will be elected.
00:24The Parliament's official headquarters are in Strasbourg, which is where most of the
00:28plenary sessions take place.
00:30Parliamentary committees meet in Brussels.
00:32In the hemicycle, members are grouped based on political party, not by nationality.
00:37MEPs vote on the President of the European Commission after the European Council selects
00:43a candidate.
00:44Members also interview each candidate for Commissioner appointments and can reject potential
00:50candidates.
00:51The European Parliament has only partial legislative power and cannot initiate legislation.
00:56They can amend and vote on the Commission's legislative proposals in consultation with
01:01the Council of the European Union.
01:03For certain matters, including taxation, the Parliament only offers consultation.
01:09The Parliament helps draw up the EU's annual budget, negotiating with the European Council
01:14of Heads of State.
01:16Parliament has certain oversight powers on other European institutions, including with
01:20budget monitoring.
01:26For more UN videos visit www.un.org