A presentation as part of European Local Democracy Week 2012 in Portsmouth.

1. European Parliament
Information Office in the UK
32 Smith Square,
Westminster, London
www.europarl.org.uk
http://europetalk.tumblr.com
Tel: 0207 227 4300
Elisabeth Sweeney
European Civil Servant
elisabeth.sweeney @ep.europa.eu

2. “Decision Making in the EU -
How am I represented ?”

3. EUROPEAN COURT OF
HUMAN RIGHTS in Strasbourg
• Is NOT an EU Institution
• 1959 Treaty between 47 countries across
Europe – Britain, like many other countries
including Russia&Azerbaijan, is a
signatory with Treaty obligations to meet.

4. European Union
EU 27
Candidate countries

5. Budget of the European Union
Revenue 2012
GNI resource
74,7%
10,9%
13,2%
Other revenue
1,2% VAT resource
Sugar levies
0,1% Custom duties
Total: EUR 129,1 billion Estimate % of total revenue

6. Budget of the European Union
Expenditure 2012
EU as a
global
player Agriculture
6,4%
29,9%
35,8%
Cohesion Rural
10,9% development,
environment
& fisheries
10% 5,6%
Citizenship, Freedom,
1,4% Security & Justice
Administration
Competitiveness
Total: EUR 129,1 billion 1,86 % increase on 2011
0,98 % of EU 27 GNI

9. Areas of European law
• Consumer Protection
• Food Labelling
• Cheaper airfares –
• Compensation for delayed flights –
• Mobile phone international rates
• Employment Law
• Holiday entitlements
• Working time
• Environmental Law
• Recycling targets

12. Key figures of the European Union
Martin Schulz Jose Manuel Barroso
President of the President of the
European Parliament European Commission
Herman Cyprus
Van Rompuy Presidency of the
Catherine
President of the Council of the European Union Ashton
European Council High Representative

13. European Commission
27 commissioners Recommended by National Governments
– Right of initiative – Guardian of the Treaties
European Parliament Council of
Ministers
Democratic Supervision of EU 27 Ministers (eg Agriculture)
754 members representing 500 million representing National Governments
EU citizens

14. AND THE ROLE OF OUR UK PARLIAMENT ?

15. Role of the European Scrutiny
Committee – House of Commons
• Monitor business in the Council and the
lines taken by UK Ministers
• Assess political and/or legal importance of
EU documents, and recommend debates
• Be a source of analysis and description
• Keep EU developments under review
• Supervise the scrutiny system

16. Documents covered at Scrutiny
Committees of
House of Commons & House of Lords
• Draft Regulations, Directives & Council of
Ministers’ Decisions
• Budgetary documents
• Commission Green and White Papers
• Commission’s Work Programme etc.
• Reports of the Court of Auditors

17. Types of EU Legislation
• EU REGULATIONS (No transposition into
national law – directly applicable in all 27
countries)
• EU DIRECTIVES (eg UK decides how to
implement to achieve overall objective)

18. % of UK Laws passed in the EU
• 6.8% of primary legislation (Statutes)
• 14.1% of secondary legislation (Statutory
Instruments)
Source: House of Commons Library 1997-2009

19. European Parliament
Legislative power Parliamentary control
Most EU laws are adopted Parliament supervises other
jointly by the European EU institutions and can pass
Parliament and the Council of a vote of no-confidence in the
Ministers European Commission
Budgetary power EU Enlargement decisions
Parliament decides the EU Parliament‘s assent is
annual budget together with required for the accession of
the Council of Ministers any new Member States

20. Seat distribution: 754 MEPs 500
million people
Member State Seats Member State Seats
Germany 99 Austria 19
France 73 Bulgaria 18
United Kingdom 73 Denmark 13
Italy 73 Finland 13
Spain 54 Slovakia 13
Poland 51 Ireland 12
754 Romania 33 Lithuania 12
Netherlands 26 Latvia 9
Belgium 22 Slovenia 8
Czech Rep. 22 Estonia 6
Greece 22 Cyprus 6
Hungary 22 Luxembourg 6
Portugal 22 Malta 6
Sweden 20

22. No Work permit
No Visa required
• Hundreds of thousands of British expats
live and work in Spain, France, Italy & EU
• They can vote or stand for election at local
elections and European elections
• EU citizens residing in the UK can do the
same

23. Standing as a Candidate
at European Parliament elections
Minimum 18 years of age
Individuals or party member under
system of Proportional Representation (UK= closed list)
Citizen of any Member State resident in EU
Deposit of £5,000 (2.5% of votes cast or lose it)
Term is 5 years – next election 2014
Electoral Commission Administers Election Rules

24. EUROPE IN THE SOUTH EAST
HOW DOES THAT WORK THEN?
MEPS elected every 5 years by
a system of Proportional
Representation
(closed party list)
73 MEPs represent the UK
(www.votewatch.eu)
754 MEPs for 27 Member States
– 500 million

25. Parties in Votes % votes Seats
the 2009 election 2009 2009 (10 in total)
Conservative Party 812,288 34.79 4
United Kingdom Independence Party 440,002 18.84 2
Liberal Democrat Party 330,340 14.15 2
Green Party 271,506 11.63 1
Labour Party 192,592 8.25 1
British National Party 101,769 4.36
English Democrats Party 52,526 2.25
Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship” 35,712 2.25
No2EU: Yes to Democracy 21,455 0.92
Pro democracy: Libertas.eu 16,767 0.72
Socialist Labour Party 15,484 0.66
United Kingdom First 15,261 0.65
Jury Team 14,172 0.61
Peace Party- Non violence, Justice, Environment 9,534 0.41
Roman Party. Avel 5,450 0.23
Total valid votes 2009 2,334,858 -
Spoiled / rejected 17,724 -
Total of votes 2009 2,352,607 -
Electorate 2009 6,231,875 -
Region's turnout 2009 37.75% -
UK turnout 2009 34.70 % -

26. South East Region – Results
European Election 2009
Name Party
Position
1. Daniel HANNAN Conservative
2. Nigel FARAGE UKIP
3. Richard ASHWORTH Conservative
4. Sharon BOWLES Liberal Democrat
5. Keith TAYLOR * Green
6. Nirj DEVA Conservative
7. Marta Andreasen UKIP
8. James ELLES Conservative
9. Peter SKINNER Labour
10. Catherine BEARDER Liberal Democrat
* Keith TAYLOR took up the seat from Caroline LUCAS in June 2010

27. Nigel FARAGE Marta ANDREASEN
UK INDEPENDENCE
Party MEPs
Europe for Freedom and
Democracy Group
The Old Grain Store PO Box 1410
Church Lane Woking, Surrey
Lyminster GU22 2LW
Nr. Littlehampton Tel: 014 8372 9077
West Sussex BN17 7QJ marta.andreasen-
Tel: 01903 885573 office@europarl.europa.eu
nigel.farage@europarl.europa.eu www.martaandreasen.com
www.nigelfaragemep.co.uk
Committee on Fisheries Committee on Budgets and
Budgetary Control

28. Keith TAYLOR
Green Party
Constituency Office
Office of the Green MEPs
CAN Mezzanine
49 - 51 East Road
Group of the Greens / European London. N1 6AH
Free Alliance
Tel: 00207 250 8415
Committee on Development keith.taylor@europarl.europa.eu
Committee on Transport and
Tourism
www.keithtaylormep.org.uk
Substitute on Petitions
Committee
Delegation for relations with
Afghanistan

29. Nirj DEVA James ELLES
Conservative MEPs
European Conservatives
and Reformists Group
96 Vine Lane 5 Hazelgrove Road
Hillingdon Haywards Heath
Middlesex West Sussex RH16 3PH
UB10 OBE
Tel:01444 474858
Tel: 01895 470 463 richardjames.ashworth@europarl.europa.eu
office@nirjdeva.com www.richardashworth.org
www.nirjdeva.com
Committee on Development Committee on Budgets and
and Human Rights Foreign Affairs

30. Daniel HANNAN Richard ASHWORTH
Conservative MEPs
European Conservatives
and Reformists Group
The Coach House
Worthy Park Disraeli House
Winchester 12 Aylesbury End
Hampshire SO21 1AN Beaconsfield
Buckinghamshire HP9 1LW
Tel: 00 322 284 5137
daniel.hannan@europarl.europa.eu Tel: 01494 673745
www.hannan.co.uk mes.elles@europarl.europa.eu
www.jameselles.com
Committee on Committee on Agriculture
Constitutional Affairs
and Rural Development

31. Sharon BOWLES Catherine BEARDER
Liberal Democrat MEPs
Group of the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats
for Europe
Felden House
Dower Mews 27 Park End Street
High Street Oxford OX1 1HU
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire HP4 2BL Tel: 01865 249838
catherine@bearder.eu
Tel: 01442 875962 www.bearder.eu
Substitute on Committee on
info@sharonbowles.org.uk
International Trade
www.sharonbowles.org.uk
Committee on Regional
Committee on Economic Development
& Monetary Policy Committee on Transport
Delegation on ACP

32. Peter SKINNER
Labour
Constituency Office
Suite 5
Fort Pitt Business Centre
New Road, Rochester
Kent ME1 1DU
Group of the Progressive
Alliance of Socialists and Tel: 01634 840930
Democrats in the European
Parliament
southeast@peterskinnermep.eu
www.peterskinnermep.eu
Committee on Economic and
Monetary Affairs

33. SO WHAT DOES AN MEP DO ?
Legislative Role:
Amends Proposals from the Commission
Compromise among pan-european
political groups
(Coordinator & Rapporteur)
Representative Role:
Tabling Questions/Writing Letters/Surgeries
Visitors to Brussels/Strasbourg Parliament

34. Parliamentary committees
• Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Committee on Development
• Committee on International Trade
• Committee on Budgets
• Committee on Budgetary Control
• Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
• Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
• Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
• Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
20 • Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
• Committee on Transport and Tourism
• Committee on Regional Development
• Committee on Agriculture
• Committee on Fisheries
• Committee on Culture and Education
• Committee on Legal Affairs
• Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
• Committee on Constitutional Affairs
• Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
• Committee on Petitions

35. European Parliament
Chamber in Strasbourg

36. European Political Groups
• EPP: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
• Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialist and Democrats in the
European Parliament
• ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
• ECR: European Conservatives and Reformists Group
• Greens/EFA: The Greens/European Free Alliance
• GUE/NGL: Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic
Green Left
• EFD: Group "Europe of Freedom and Democracy“
• NA: Group of non-attached Members

37. Parliament’s calendar: 2012
COMMITTEE
MEETINGS
POLITICAL
GROUP
MEETINGS
PLENARY
SESSIONS
EXTERNAL
PARLIAMENTARY
ACTIVITY

38. Stay in touch!
www.europarltv.europa.eu
You can follow me on
Twitter under @eurocrat
Social network sites