EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

legislative assembly of the European Union (EU). The European Parliament, which was inaugurated in 1958 as the Assembly, consisted originally of members selected by the respective national parliaments of the member nations. Beginning in 1979, it became a legislature whose members (now totaling more than 500) were apportioned among the member nations and elected by direct universal suffrage. Although Parliament members sit in political, rather than national, groups, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy have the most members. The Parliament meets annually for about 12 one-week part-sessions, in Brussels, Belg., or in Strasbourg, France. It is run by a Bureau headed by a president and 14 vice presidents who are elected from among its members to serve for terms of 30 months. There are 19 specialized standing committees in the Parliament, including ones on political affairs, budgets, agriculture, economic and monetary affairs, energy and research, external economic relations, and social affairs and employment. Under the treaties, the EU's Council of Ministers is obliged to consult the European Parliament on various legislative matters, and the Parliament is empowered under its own rules to discuss any matter whatsoever, whether related to the general treaties or not. The Parliament's other tasks include scrutinizing the EU's budgets and exercising democratic control over various executive organs of the Union.