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May 16, 2019 (IF11211 May 16, 2019 The European Parliament and U.S. Interests A Key EU Institution basis, with the number of MEPs elected in each EU country Between May 23 and May 26, 2019, the 28 member states based roughly on population size. Although voter turnout of the European Union (EU) are due to hold elections for varies greatly from country to country, average turnout in the next European Parliament (EP). As the only EU EP elections is usually relatively low (43% in the last EP institution that is directly elected, the 751 members of the elections in May 2014) and of ongoing concern to the EU. EP represent the roughly 513 million citizens of the EU. The EP has accumulated more power over time, most Political Groups recently with the EU’s 2009 Lisbon Treaty, in an attempt to Once elected, MEPs caucus according to political ideology improve democratic accountability and transparency in EU rather than nationality. A political group must contain at policymaking. Enhanced powers have made the EP a more least 25 MEPs from a minimum of seven EU countries. No important actor on several issues of U.S. concern, including single group in the EP has an absolute majority, making trade, data privacy, and countering terrorism. Congress-EP compromise and coalition-building key features of the ties are longstanding, and Congress may be increasingly legislative process. The relative size of the political groups interested in EP activities given the EP’s potential to helps to determine EP leadership positions and committee influence key aspects of U.S.-EU relations. posts. In the 2014-2019 EP, there were eight political groups—containing over 200 national political parties— Role and Responsibilities that spanned the political spectrum, as well as a number of The EP plays a role in the EU’s legislative and budget “non-attached” or independent MEPs (see Figure 1). processes and has a degree of oversight responsibility. The EP works closely with the two other main EU institutions: Historically, the center-right European People’s Party the European Commission, which represents the interests of (EPP) and the center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists the EU as a whole and functions as the EU’s executive, and and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D) have the Council of the European Union (or the Council of been the two largest political groups and have tended to Ministers), which represents the interests of the EU’s dominate the EP by cooperating in unofficial “grand national governments. coalitions.” At the same time, voting blocs on specific pieces of legislation vary according to different issues and Although the European Commission has the right of interests. In the 2014-2019 EP, the centrist and liberal legislative initiative, the EP shares legislative power with Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the Council of Ministers in most policy areas, giving the EP the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists the right to accept, amend, or reject the vast majority of EU (ECR) both played a “kingmaker” role at times by laws (with some exceptions, such as taxation and most exercising decisive swing votes. aspects of foreign policy). Both the EP and the Council of Ministers must approve a European Commission proposal In the 2014 election, candidates and parties considered to be for it to become EU law in a process known as the ordinary “euroskeptic”—that is, critical of the EU or anti-EU to legislative procedure or co-decision. The EP must also varying degrees—won an increased number of seats. approve the accession of new EU member states (or a Although most euroskeptic parties are on the right or far member state’s withdrawal) and has the right to approve or right (and are predominantly nationalist and anti- reject international accords, including EU trade agreements. immigration), some are on the left or far left. The ECR was one of three right-wing euroskeptic groups in the 2014- The EP decides how to allocate the EU’s budget jointly 2019 EP. The ECR consisted of MEPs concerned about a with the Council of Ministers (although neither the EP nor loss of national sovereignty in the EU. Further to the right, the Council of Ministers can affect the size of the EU’s the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) annual budget, which is fixed as a percentage of the EU’s group strongly objected to any further EU integration. Both combined gross national income). In addition, the EP has a the ECR and the EFDD included MEPs from the United supervisory role over the European Commission and some Kingdom (UK) who supported the UK’s decision to leave limited oversight over the activities of the Council of the EU (known as “Brexit,” which remains pending). In Ministers. The EP monitors the management of EU 2015, a smaller but more stridently anti-EU, nationalist policies, can conduct investigations and public hearings, group formed—the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF). and must approve each new slate of European Commissioners every five years. The other two groups in the EP are on the left of the political spectrum. The Greens/European Free Alliance Structure and Organization (Greens/EFA) comprises pro-environment parties and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) serve five- several regional parties (e.g., Scottish, Welsh, Catalonian, year terms. Voting for the EP takes place on a national and Basque) with leftist outlooks. The far-left European https://crsreports.congress.gov The European Parliament and U.S. Interests United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) includes former In the current EP, however, euroskeptic parties have communist parties and some EU critics. struggled to form a cohesive opposition due to competing political agendas and different views on numerous issues Figure 1. European Parliament 2014-2019 (including EU reforms). Some euroskeptic politicians are Political Groups and Seats seeking to forge a more unified force in the next EP. In April 2019, Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy’s far-right Lega party, launched an alliance with other far-right euroskeptic parties, including from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, and Finland. This new group incorporates most of the ENF, as well as some parties in the ECR and EFDD. Many analysts remain doubtful, however, about the ability of such diverse euroskeptic parties to work together. Others note that most euroskeptic parties (even the most hardline ones) now largely advocate for EU reform Source: Graphic created by CRS, based on data from the European rather than a dissolution of the EU or national withdrawal Parliament, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/search/table. from the EU (in part due to the UK’s difficulties with Brexit). EP Leadership, Committees, and Delegations MEPs elect a president of the European Parliament every The outcome of the EP election is expected to influence the two-and-a-half years (twice per parliamentary term). The selection of the next president of the European Commission president oversees the work of the EP and represents it (due to take office in late 2019), which could prove externally. In recent parliaments, the EPP and S&D have controversial. The Lisbon Treaty requires EU leaders to agreed to split the position of EP president over each five- take the EP election results into account in choosing the year term. Antonio Tajani, an Italian MEP from the EPP, next commission president. The main European political has served as EP president since January 2017. parties have nominated “lead candidates” for the post, but many EU leaders contend that they are not limited to The EP has 20 standing committees that are key actors in selecting from among these specific candidates. Some the adoption of EU legislation. In terms of their importance suggest that the EP may reject any nominee for commission and power, EP committees rival those in the U.S. Congress president who was not a lead candidate during the EP and surpass those in most national European legislatures. election. Each committee considers legislative proposals put forward by the European Commission that fall within its jurisdiction The United States and the EP and issues a recommendation to the full EP on whether to Over the last decade, the EP has gained a more prominent adopt, amend, or reject the proposed legislation. The EP role in some aspects of U.S.-EU relations, particularly in also plays a role in the EU’s international presence with 44 light of the EP’s right to approve or reject international delegations that maintain parliament-to-parliament relations agreements. In 2010, for example, the EP initially rejected a throughout the world (including with the U.S. Congress). U.S.-EU agreement on countering terrorist financing due to EP concerns about U.S. data privacy safeguards. The EP Location and Administration would also have to approve a possible future U.S.-EU trade Strasbourg, France, is the official seat of the EP. This accord. More generally, the EP’s role in EU lawmaking location, close to the border with Germany, was chosen to may affect certain U.S. political or economic interests. The symbolize post-war European reconciliation. Plenaries are EP was central to shaping the EU’s new General Data held in Strasbourg once per month, while EP committee Protection Regulation, which applies to many U.S. meetings and some part-plenary sessions occur in Brussels, companies doing business in Europe. Belgium. A Secretariat of roughly 5,000 nonpartisan civil servants, based in both Brussels and Luxembourg, provides Congress-Parliament Relations administrative and technical support. MEPs and political Inter-parliamentary exchanges between Congress and the groups also have their own staff assistants.
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