The incoming 2014 - 2019

Contents

The incoming Parliament: introduction 4

Next steps following the European elections 5 Constitutive session (Strasbourg, 1-3 July) 5 Plenary session (Strasbourg, 14-17 July): election of new Commission President 8 September/October 2014 (tbc) - hearings of Commissioners-designate and vote 8

The work of an MEP 10 Political groups: the driving force of the EP 10 Parliamentary committees: doing the groundwork 14

Parliament's role and powers 15

Legislation on the incoming Parliament's agenda 18

Parliament setting the agenda: proposals for legislation 20

Annex 1 - Percentage of men / women Members of the European Parliament 21

Annex 2 - Oldest and youngest MEPs by Member State 22

Annex 3 - Percentage of re-elected and new MEPs by Member State 23

Annex 4 - Facts and figures on new MEPs 24

Annex 5 - Provisional draft agenda's plenary sessions July 2014 25

Last update: 26.06.2014

The incoming Parliament: introduction

The European elections of 22-25 May 2014 gave voters the chance to influence the future political course of the European Union when they elected the 751 Members of the European Parliament to represent their interests over the next five years.

Following the elections, the Parliament is set to hold two key plenary sessions in Strasbourg in July which will have a decisive bearing on the shape of the EU institutions up to the next elections in 2019.

At the first session, from 1 to 3 July, the Parliament will elect its new President, Vice-Presidents and Quaestors, and decide on the composition of its parliamentary committees.

In addition, the House will hear from European Council President about the conclusions of the EU summit of 26-27 June, notably regarding the EU's political priorities for the next five years and the nomination of a candidate as next President of the European Commission.

MEPs will also discuss Greece's Presidency of the Council over the past half-year and hear the plans of the incoming Italian Presidency for the next six months.

Later in the month, at another plenary session, from 14 to 17 July, Parliament is due to elect the new President of the Commission. The other 27 Commissioners will subsequently be chosen, with a view to having the full team confirmed by Parliament in the autumn.

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Next steps following the European elections

Timetable

 1-3 July: EP constitutive session - MEPs officially take up their seats in Parliament.  14-17 July: plenary session of Parliament - election of Commission President  September: hearings of Commissioners-designate  October (tbc): Parliament votes on the full Commission  1 November: the new Commission, if approved, takes office

Constitutive session (Strasbourg, 1-3 July)

The first plenary session following the elections focuses on the formal constitution of the incoming Parliament, at which the new MEPs elect their President, 14 Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors.

Election of new EP President, Vice-Presidents and Quaestors

Since outgoing President has stood down in order to become leader of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the EP, the plenary session will be opened and chaired by outgoing First Vice-President until the new President is elected (Rule 14 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure).

Nomination of candidates and election procedure

Candidates for President of the EP may be proposed either by a political group or by a minimum of forty MEPs (Rule 15). All the duly nominated candidates will address MEPs before voting begins. The election is held by secret ballot. Unusually for a vote in the European Parliament, MEPs take part by marking their preferred candidate on a paper ballot and placing it in a ballot box. The process is overseen by eight tellers, chosen by lot from among the MEPs.

To be elected, a candidate must win an absolute majority of the valid votes cast, i.e. 50 per cent plus one (Rule 16). Blank or spoiled ballots do not count in calculating the majority required.

If no candidate is elected at the first ballot, the same or other candidates can be nominated for a second round of voting under the same conditions. This can be repeated at a third round if necessary, again with the same rules.

If no-one is elected at the third ballot, the two highest scoring candidates in that round proceed to a fourth ballot, where the one receiving the greater number of votes wins. (Should there be a tie at this stage, the older candidate is declared the winner.)

The newly elected President then takes the chair and is entitled to make an opening address (though he or she can also choose to make just a few short remarks, with a more formal speech at a later date), before presiding over the election of the Vice-Presidents and Quaestors.

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Duties of the President

The President chairs the plenary sittings of Parliament, the Conference of the Presidents of Political Groups and the Bureau of Parliament (made up of the President and the 14 Vice-Presidents, plus the Quaestors in an advisory capacity).

The President is responsible for the application of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, and, to this end, oversees all the activities of Parliament and its bodies.

The President represents Parliament in all legal matters.

The President addresses the European Council prior to each of its meetings, stating Parliament's viewpoint on the subjects on the agenda as part of a debate with the heads of state and government.

The President represents Parliament in its international relations, and, in this connection, undertakes official visits within and outside the EU.

The President signs the EU budget into being following Parliament's vote on it at second reading. During the procedure, the President chairs the EP/Council conciliation delegations.

The President may, under the co-decision procedure, chair the EP/Council conciliation committee. Jointly with the President-in-Office of the Council, the President signs all legislative acts adopted by co-decision.

14 Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors

Candidates for the posts of Vice-President and Quaestor can also be made either by a political group or by at least 40 Members. The Vice-Presidential election is also held using a paper-based secret ballot, with a single ballot paper. Candidates must obtain the support of an absolute majority of those casting valid ballots, with a second round held under the same conditions if all 14 posts are not filled on the first round. A third round can then be held if there are still vacancies, at which point a relative majority is enough for election to one of the remaining positions. The order in which candidates are elected determines the order of precedence (Rule 17). If the number of candidates proposed is the same as the number of positions to be filled - fourteen - then they will be elected by acclamation, with a vote held simply to determine the order of precedence. A similar procedure is followed for the election of the Quaestors (Rule 18).

Vice-Presidents can replace the President in performing his duties when necessary, including chairing plenary sittings (Rule 23). They are also members of the Bureau, the body responsible for all administrative, staff and organisational matters of the Parliament. The five Quaestors deal with administrative matters directly affecting MEPs themselves (Rule 28).

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Former presidents of the European Parliament 1952 to 1979

1952 - 1954 Paul-Henri SPAAK (Soc, BE) 1954 (CD, IT) 1954 - 1956 (CD, IT) 1956 - 1958 (CD, DE) 1958 - 1960 (CD, FR) 1960 - 1962 Hans FURLER (CD, DE) 1962 - 1964 (L, IT) 1964 - 1965 Jean DUVIEUSART (CD, BE) 1965 - 1966 (CD, BE) 1966 - 1969 (CD, FR) 1969 - 1971 (CD, IT) 1971 - 1973 (Soc, DE) 1973 - 1975 (L, NL) 1975 - 1977 Georges SPENALE (Soc, FR) 1977 - 1979 (CD, IT)

Presidents of the directly elected European Parliament since 1979

Session of July 1979: (LDR, FR) elected on the second ballot with 192 votes (votes cast: 377) Session of January 1982: Pieter DANKERT (PES, NL) elected on the fourth ballot with 191 votes (votes cast: 366) Session of July 1984: (EPP, FR) elected on the second ballot with 221 votes (votes cast: 403) Session of January 1987: Lord (Henry) PLUMB (ED, UK) elected on the third ballot with 241 votes (votes cast: 477) Session of July 1989: Enrique Baron CRESPO (PES, ES) elected on the first ballot with 301 votes (votes cast: 475) Session of January 1992: (EPP, DE) elected on the first ballot with 253 votes (votes cast: 446) Session of July 1994: Klaus HÄNSCH (PES, DE) elected on the first ballot with 365 votes (votes cast: 452) Session of January 1997: Jose Maria GIL ROBLES (EPP, ES) elected on the first ballot with 338 votes (votes cast: 515) Session of July 1999: (EPP-ED, FR) elected on the first ballot with 306 votes (votes cast: 555) Session of January 2002: (ELDR, IE) elected on the third ballot with 298 votes (votes cast: 568) Session of July 2004: FONTELLES (PES, ES) elected on the first ballot with 388 votes (votes cast: 647) Session of January 2007: Hans-Gert POETTERING (EPP-ED, DE) elected on the first ballot with 450 votes (votes cast: 689) Session of July 2009: (EPP, PL) elected on the first ballot with 555 votes (votes cast: 644) Session of January 2012: Martin SCHULZ (S&D, DE) elected on the first ballot with 387 votes (votes cast: 670)

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Plenary session (Strasbourg, 14-17 July): election of new Commission President

Under the Lisbon Treaty, Parliament elects the Commission President, although it is the European Council, composed of the EU's heads of state and government, which chooses a candidate. The European Council must take into account the results of the European Parliament elections when selecting the candidate.

After the European Council has made its proposal for President, a period of negotiation with Parliament on the candidate's political priorities and programme may take place.

The second plenary session of July will thus offer the European Parliament the first opportunity to vote on a candidate. The successful nominee will need the support of an absolute majority of Members, i.e. 376 of the 751 MEPs.

The vote is taken by secret ballot. Should the candidate be rejected, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, has one month to propose a new candidate (Article 17(7) of Lisbon Treaty; Rule 117 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure).

Once the Commission President has been elected, the Council, in agreement with the President- elect, will draw up a list of candidates for the remaining posts of Commissioner.

(See also page 9 and page 15 - Procedure for appointment of the European Commission)

September/October 2014 (tbc) - hearings of Commissioners-designate and vote

The candidates - or Commissioners-designate - appear before the parliamentary committee(s) relevant to their prospective fields of responsibility. The hearings are held in public. Afterwards, each committee then meets in camera to draft its evaluation of the candidate's expertise and performance, which is sent to the President of the Parliament. In the past, these hearings have sometimes led to candidates withdrawing or having their portfolio changed.

After this vetting process, the Commission President presents the full College of Commissioners and its programme at a session of Parliament. The Commission President, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the other Commissioners need to be approved by a vote of consent by Parliament. If Parliament approves the President and Commissioners, they can be appointed by the Council, acting by qualified majority.

Should there later be a substantial shuffle within the Commission or vacancies arise, the Commissioners concerned or the candidates need to (re-)appear before the relevant committees.

The new Commission is due to take office in November 2014. The mandate of the current Commission ends on 1 November.

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The election of the European Commission at a glance

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The work of an MEP

Now that the MEPs have been elected, what will their daily routine be and what influence can they have on politics in Brussels and Strasbourg?

To advance their voters' interests, the majority of MEPs have joined a political group to make common cause with MEPs from other EU states with a similar political outlook.

MEPs will also sit on a parliamentary committee, devoting their time and energy to scrutinising legislation. In the 2009-14 term, there were 20 standing committees and two subcommittees, each specialising in its own policy area. These bodies are the legislative powerhouses of the EP, where key negotiations are handled, the fiercest political arguments played out and the necessary deals often cut, although final decisions are taken by the full Parliament of 751 Members.

In addition, MEPs can be members of interparliamentary delegations, whose role is to nurture contacts with the parliaments of non-EU countries.

Office holders of the Parliament

The President of Parliament, elected from among the 751 Members, represents it to the outside world, chairs plenary sessions and oversees all of Parliament's work. Fourteen Vice-Presidents share this workload.

A committee or delegation chair guides the proceedings of that body. A coordinator is the leading representative of his or her political group in a committee, while a rapporteur is an MEP chosen to pilot a specific resolution or piece of legislation through Parliament.

Parliament's governing bodies

Responsibility for Parliament's internal management lies with different bodies: political decisions are taken by the Conference of Presidents, made up of Parliament's President and the political group leaders; financial, organisational and administrative matters are dealt with by the Bureau, composed of the President and the Vice-Presidents; administrative and financial concerns of Members are the responsibility of the College of Quaestors (a body of five MEPs elected by the House).

Political groups: the driving force of the EP

Debate, controversy and conflict are the lifeblood of any democratically elected body. The European Parliament - made up of politicians with sometimes sharply differing views - is no exception.

To harness this wide range of opinion and nationalities into a workable system, MEPs have always operated through transnational ‘political groups’, each made up of members from different countries but with similar political convictions. Cooperating closely with Members from other countries who broadly share their political views is the most effective way for MEPs to achieve their goals at European level.

The groups are of central importance in the work of Parliament. They are the key players in building voting majorities on legislation, the budget and other issues. They set the parliamentary agenda and play the decisive role in choosing Parliament's President and other leading office-holders.

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A culture of compromise … and a balance of power

Never in Parliament's history has a single group held an overall majority. So, in order to pass EU legislation and approve the budget, the groups must forge a workable majority through negotiation and compromise. Give-and-take among the groups is thus essential, although the larger the group, the more clout it has. Group discipline in the EP is less strict than in some national parliaments: members of the same group sometimes vote on different (often national or regional) lines.

Formation of political groups

For the constitutive session, 24 June was the administrative deadline for forming a political group in order for it to be present at the constitutive session. Groups can of course be formed and dissolved at any time during the legislative term.

Political groups are provided with a secretariat and administrative facilities, including human resources, funded from Parliament's budget. Parliament’s Bureau sets the rules for how these funds and facilities are managed and audited. “Non-attached" MEPs (i.e. those who do not belong to a political group) are also provided with a secretariat and have rights under the rules set by the Bureau.

The funds available are intended to cover the administrative and operational costs of a group's staff as well as expenditure on political and information activities in connection with the European Union's political activities. The budget may not be used to finance any form of European, national, regional or local electoral campaign or to finance political parties at national and European level or their dependent bodies.

Rule 32 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure

1. Members may form themselves into groups according to their political affinities. Parliament need not normally evaluate the political affinity of members of a group. In forming a group together under this Rule, the Members concerned accept by definition that they have political affinity. Only when this is denied by the Members concerned is it necessary for Parliament to evaluate whether the group has been constituted in accordance with the Rules. 2. A political group shall comprise Members elected in at least one-quarter of the Member States. The minimum number of Members required to form a political group shall be 25. 3. If a group falls below the required threshold, the President, with the agreement of the Conference of Presidents, may allow it to continue to exist until Parliament's next constitutive sitting, provided the following conditions are met: - the members continue to represent at least one-fifth of the Member States; - the group has been in existence for a period longer than a year. The President shall not apply this derogation where there is sufficient evidence to suspect that it is being abused. 4. A Member may not belong to more than one political group. 5. The President shall be notified in a statement when a political group is set up. This statement shall specify the name of the group and the names of its members and bureau members. 6. The statement shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

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Number of MEPs per political group

Based on information as of 25.06.2014 - Without prejudice to the composition of the EP at the inaugural session on 1 July 2014

EPP: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)

S&D: Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament

ECR: European Conservatives and Reformists

ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

GUE/NGL: European United Left/Nordic Green Left

Greens/EFA: The Greens/European Free Alliance

EFDD: Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group

NI: Non-attached Members – Members not belonging to any political group

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Seats by political group and Member State

GUE/N Greens Country EPP S&D ECR ALDE EFDD NI TOTAL GL /EFA Belgium 4 4 4 6 2 1 21 Bulgaria 7 4 2 4 17 Czech Rep. 7 4 2 4 3 1 21 Denmark 1 3 4 3 1 1 13 Germany 34 27 8 4 8 13 2 96 Estonia 1 1 3 1 6 Ireland 4 1 1 1 4 11 Greece 5 4 1 6 5 21 Spain 17 14 8 11 4 54 France 20 13 7 4 6 1 23 74 Croatia 5 2 1 2 1 11 Italy 17 31 3 17 5 73 Cyprus 2 2 2 6 Latvia 4 1 1 1 1 8 Lithuania 2 2 1 3 1 2 11 Luxembourg 3 1 1 1 6 Hungary 12 4 2 3 21 Malta 3 3 6 Netherlands 5 3 2 7 3 2 4 26 Austria 5 5 1 3 4 18 Poland 23 5 19 4 51 Portugal 7 8 2 4 21 Romania 15 16 1 32 Slovakia 6 4 2 1 13 Slovenia 5 1 1 1 8 Finland 3 2 2 4 1 1 13 Sweden 4 6 3 1 4 2 20 UK 20 20 1 1 6 24 1 73 Total 221 191 70 67 52 50 48 52 751

Based on information as of 25.06.2014 - Without prejudice to the composition of the EP at the inaugural session on 1 July 2014

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Parliamentary committees: doing the groundwork

MEPs also sit on parliamentary committees, where the bulk of their work is done. Parliament's final decisions, for example on legislation, are the outcome of a vote in plenary but before that stage is reached a great deal of in-depth preparatory work is carried out by specialised committees, each drafting and adopting reports in its own policy area.

It is mainly in these committees that Members defend their political positions, by tabling amendments and negotiating texts to be tabled to the plenary. This process varies in length, depending on the complexity of the report, but is an essential part of the overall legislative procedure and the most efficient way of arriving at a majority vote in plenary.

The number of Members per committee, where they represent their political groups, is decided by the plenary and takes place in the constitutive plenary session in July. Members will choose the committees on which they wish to sit according to their interests and expertise, the needs of their political group and the availability of seats in the committee.

MEPs from each political group within a committee elect coordinators to represent the interests of their group in that committee, for example when deciding on the distribution of reports.

How is legislation processed in the parliamentary committees once the European Commission has submitted a draft law?

 The President of the European Parliament refers the European Commission's draft law to a committee, which is then responsible for its passage through Parliament: for example, the Railway Package will be allocated to the Transport and Tourism Committee.  The coordinators in that committee decide which political group will be responsible for drafting the parliamentary report. The larger the political group in the committee, the more chance it has of getting major reports.  The political group responsible then decides which of its Members will be the “rapporteur" of the Parliament for this report, usually a Member with expertise in the subject matter;  Each of the other political groups appoints a “shadow rapporteur” to work with the rapporteur and represent the interests of their group;  The rapporteur holds extensive consultations with the shadow rapporteurs and other MEPs, the European Commission, Member States and interest groups, before submitting the "draft report" to the whole committee for consideration and debate;  Members of the committee are then able to propose amendments to the draft report;  The rapporteur then tries to build a majority in the committee. To win support between the different political groups, and to simplify the sometimes long lists of amendments from MEPs, the rapporteur can propose “compromise amendments”;  After this procedure, the amendments, including the compromise amendments, are submitted to a vote in committee;  The result of this vote makes up the report submitted to plenary for adoption;  Political groups can table additional amendments to be put to the vote in plenary.

In the 2009-2014 parliamentary term, there were 20 committees and 2 subcommittees:

Foreign Affairs / Human Rights / Security and Defence / Development / International Trade / Budgets / Budgetary Control / Economic and Monetary Affairs / Employment and Social Affairs / Environment, Public Health and Food Safety / Industry, Research and Energy / Internal Market and Consumer Protection / Transport and Tourism / Regional Development / Agriculture and Rural Development / Fisheries / Culture and Education / Legal Affairs / Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs / Constitutional Affairs / Women's Rights and Gender Equality / Petitions

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Parliament's role and powers

The outcome of the 2014 elections to the European Parliament will for the first time in the EU's history determine who leads the European Commission, the EU's executive body. Candidates for the remaining Commission portfolios will also have to pass a tough parliamentary vetting process before they can take office.

Once the composition of the Commission is settled, MEPs will turn to their main parliamentary duties: the framing of laws affecting the everyday lives of Europe's citizens plus the setting of the annual EU budget, powers which it shares with the Council of Ministers (the 28 EU national governments) in something like a bi-cameral system. The Parliament also has powers of scrutiny or oversight over the other EU institutions: it monitors how they work and how they spend the taxpayer's money. Last but not least, Parliament acts as a sounding board for the public's concerns and can thrust fresh issues onto the European political agenda.

Here is an overview of Parliament's responsibilities and powers.

1. Election and appointment of the European Commission

This will be the first time the EU member states are required to consult the European Parliament and take account of the European election results before choosing a nominee for President of the Commission1. Furthermore, the new Treaty provides that the President shall be "elected" by the European Parliament, whereas the previous treaty2 stated that Parliament would approve (in practice simply endorse) the European Council's proposal. The legal basis has therefore changed.

The new procedure will be as follows:

 taking into account the European elections, the heads of state or government of the member states put forward a candidate for Commission President;  the candidate presents his/her political guidelines (in effect a manifesto) to the Parliament;  the candidate must be approved by an absolute majority of MEPs (376 out of 751); if approved,  he/she is deemed 'elected' by the Parliament; if he/she is not approved, the member states must put forward a new candidate;  the President-elect and EU national governments together agree a list of candidates for the other Commission portfolios (one from each country);  the candidates undergo confirmation hearings at Parliament (these hearings are not formalities: Parliament has in the past rejected nominees it considered unsuitable);  the President and the other Commissioners, as a body, are then subject to a single vote of approval by Parliament, requiring a simple majority (a majority of votes cast);  if approved by Parliament, the new Commission is formally appointed by the EU heads of state/government.

1) Article 17(7) of the Treaty on European Union: Taking into account the elections to the European Parliament and after having held the appropriate consultations, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, shall propose to the European Parliament a candidate for President of the Commission. This candidate shall be elected by the European Parliament by a majority of its component members. If he does not obtain the required majority, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, shall within one month propose a new candidate who shall be elected by the European Parliament following the same procedure.

2) Nice Treaty, Article 214: The Council, meeting in the composition of Heads of State or Government and acting by a qualified majority, shall nominate the person it intends to appoint as President of the Commission; the nomination shall be approved by the European Parliament. The Council, acting by a qualified majority and by common accord with the nominee for President, shall adopt the list of the other persons whom it intends to appoint as Members of the Commission, drawn up in accordance with the proposals made by each Member State. The President and the other Members of the Commission thus nominated shall be subject as a body to a vote of approval by the European Parliament. After approval by the European Parliament, the President and the other Members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Council, acting by a qualified majority.

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2. Legislative powers

MEPs are the EU's lawmakers: without their input and approval, most EU laws cannot come into being. With the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, Parliament gained real power over the final important policy areas - notably agriculture, fisheries, immigration and civil liberties - in which it had previously only had a consultative role.

The main types of legislative power are as follows.

Ordinary legislative procedure: Also known as 'co-decision', this is the main EU legislative procedure, used to draft and adopt nearly all European laws (in around 70 to 80 policy areas). It gives Parliament the power to accept, reject or amend draft legislation on the single market, environment, consumer protection, civil liberties, agriculture, transport, research and other areas.

Consultation: On some types of legislation (e.g. tax, competition, new eurozone members) Parliament gives only an advisory opinion. However, the number of policy areas governed by this procedure has shrunk considerably, with most legislation now coming under co-decision.

Consent: If the EU is planning to take in new member states or conclude agreements with non-EU countries, Parliament's seal of approval is needed, although the EP cannot amend individual details of such accords.

Right of initiative: Parliament can ask the Commission to propose new legislation and often does so after examining the Commission's annual work programme.

3. Budgetary powers

European policies such as agriculture, regional development, energy, transport, the environment, development aid and scientific research all receive EU funding. For this purpose, the European Union's long-term spending budget has to be approved by national governments and MEPs. Then, each year, the two sides decide together how the annual budget will be spent.

Parliament is also responsible for checking subsequently if the taxpayer's money has been used as intended and for signing off the accounts if it is satisfied. On numerous occasions it has demanded more stringent controls; in 1999 it forced the entire Commission out of office for budgetary mismanagement.

4. Democratic control and supervisory powers

A basic function of any parliament is the scrutiny or oversight of other branches of power, to ensure democratic accountability. The European Parliament performs this task in a number of ways.

Nomination powers In addition to its key role in the election of the Commission, Parliament holds hearings of the President and members of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank and of nominees for the Court of Auditors.

Parliamentary scrutiny of the ECB To ensure the accountability of European monetary policy, the President of the European Central Bank reports to the EP Economics Committee every three months and also presents the bank's annual report to Parliament.

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In its new capacity as the EU bank supervisor, the ECB will be subject to strong parliamentary oversight by MEPs, who will also be empowered to approve the top echelons of the supervisory body.

Parliamentary inquiries Parliament has the power to set up a temporary committee, either to investigate an issue of public interest (a recent case was the committee on organised crime, corruption and money-laundering) or to look into alleged breaches or maladministration of Community law.

Parliamentary questions To hold the other EU institutions to account, MEPs can ask oral and written questions. By this means the Commission and Council are regularly forced to answer queries, supply detailed information or take part in a debate in Parliament on specific policy issues.

5. Foreign policy and human rights

The High Representative for the EU's common foreign and security policy (CFSP) is accountable to Parliament, which has a right to be informed and consulted about the policy and can also use its budgetary powers to shape its scale and scope.

Parliament's consent is needed for any enlargement of the EU and for the conclusion of trade and other international agreements with non-EU states. MEPs also devote considerable energy to human rights issues and the promotion of democratic values around the world, the award of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought being the annual highlight of Parliament's work in this area.

6. Petitions

The EP takes the lead in promoting transparency, openness and public access in the sometimes labyrinthine Brussels world. Every European citizen has the right to petition MEPs about environmental problems, disputes with customs authorities, transfers of pension rights and other matters, provided they fall within the European Union's remit. The public can also turn to the European Ombudsman - an independent figure appointed by Parliament - who has the power to investigate accusations of maladministration or abuse of power by an EU institution.

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Legislation on the incoming Parliament's agenda

What issues will the European Parliament deal with this term? It will depend largely on what laws the new Commission proposes and what the new Parliament pushes for, but some issues can already be indicated based on the current rolling work programme.

2030 energy and climate targets: A proposal aiming to reduce greenhouse emissions by 40% below 1990 levels and setting an EU-wide binding target for renewable energies of at least 27% by 2030.

Data protection and privacy: New rules to improve privacy, adapting existing patchy rules to the new internet realities, allowing citizens better control of their own data. Issues such as erasing personal data, profiling, transfer of data to third countries and penalties for privacy breaches were amended by the European Parliament at first reading. Use of data by police authorities is also on the agenda.

Data retention: Following a ruling by the Court of Justice, existing anti-terrorism legislation requiring telecom operators to keep a record of some user data will have to be revised.

EU passenger name records (PNR): This proposal would oblige air carriers to provide Member States' authorities with passenger data. The aim is to fight serious crime and terrorism, as was the case with the PNR agreement with the US.

EU-US Trade and Investment agreement: Currently under negotiation, this agreement will be put to a binding vote of the European Parliament next term. MEPs have expressed concern about data protection, cultural diversity and other issues.

Telecoms: To complete the internal market in the industry, the proposals aim to put an end to roaming charges in the internal market and to regulate net neutrality and internet access.

Quality of air: New targets for maximum levels of Member States' emissions of certain pollutants, such as small unhealthy particles, and in particular setting caps for combustion plants.

ETS revision: To improve the working of the CO2 trading system, a proposal to establish a stability reserve at the beginning of the next ETS trading period in 2021 to make the market more stable.

Fees for paying with cards: Proposal establishing caps on fees when paying by debit and credit card for domestic and cross-border purchases.

Product safety: The proposed legislation covers traceability of components as well as EU-wide coordination of product controls and enforcement of safety rules. At first reading, Parliament called for the country of origin to be indicated.

Women in boardrooms: A target of 40% women among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges, to be achieved by 2020.

Maternity leave and parental leave: Parliament voted this term to extend minimum paid maternity leave in the EU from 14 to 20 weeks, and for at least two weeks paternity leave. No agreement with Council on this, the issue will be up to the new Parliament.

Railways: To improve the performance of the railway sector, the Commission proposed to open up domestic passenger railway services to new entrants from December 2019.

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Single European Sky: Proposals to improve the single sky operations and air navigation services, making air traffic control less fragmented and improving coordination of operations. Air passenger rights: MEPs called at first reading for passengers to have better rights to assistance and compensation when flights are delayed or cancelled.

Travel package: An adaptation of legislation to make sure that consumers who buy a travel package via the internet are well protected. Issues such as price surcharges, cancellations, compensation and repatriation are dealt with.

Plastic bags: A package of measures aiming to reduce consumption of the commonest and most polluting plastic bags by 80% by 2019 and replace them by recycled or biodegradable bags.

Cloning, novel foods: Following EP rejection of previous proposals, new ones are on the table for dealing with market authorisation and food labelling.

Reform of the banking sector: New rules to limit the risky activities of large, complex banks. The Commission proposes that supervisors be able to request that banks separate certain risky trading activities from their deposit business.

Shareholders' say on directors pay: A new draft law would strengthen the powers of shareholders of companies listed on EU stock markets over remuneration decisions. Shareholders would have the right to vote every three years on plans on maximum pay of board members.

Port services: Measures to improve transparency in public funding of ports, ensuring fair competition and reviewing restrictions on the provision of services at European ports, while guaranteeing safety standards.

Food safety: Measures to tackle the introduction of pests and outbreaks of animal diseases. The proposals aim to strengthen controls along the food chain to fight food fraud. MEPs have called for tougher penalties.

Money laundering: Measures to tackle money laundering and the funding of terrorism, covering casinos and the role of notaries.

Public procurement and third countries: An instrument dealing with access by companies of third countries to public contracts in EU Member States. The issue of reciprocity (access conditional upon the country giving access to European companies) is a key element of the proposal.

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Parliament setting the agenda: proposals for legislation

In its last term (2009-14), Parliament also requested new measures on a number of areas, using the possibility to initiate legislation given by the Treaty of Lisbon (Art. 225 TFEU). Among the requests included in resolutions adopted last term1 were:

 A more integrated digital single market, ending geographical restrictions on internet sales  A European strategy for cloud computing  Stronger economic governance, with introduction of automatic stabilisers of a temporary nature and a social pillar of the EMU  Further development of the banking union: cross-border deposit guarantee system, fiscal compact under Community method, gradual establishment of a redemption fund for bad debts, common issuance of Eurobonds.  Additional measures to fight tax evasion  Effective equal pay for equal work  A European defence industry strategy  An EU instrument to combat and prevent violence against women  A legal act for information and consultation of workers in the context of strategic restructuring of companies, ensuring dismissal only as last resort  Consolidation of passenger rights in all modes of transport  Updating water framework directive to reflect technological advances for recycling water  EU policy on water shortages and droughts

Before giving the green light to the new Commission, the political groups will set out their priorities and assess the responses of all the Commissioners. The key questions during the election campaign, according to the media, were to do with the economy and unemployment. There was widespread reporting on eurozone governance and the economic agenda, whether to change the Stability and Growth Pact, austerity, poverty and unemployment, especially youth unemployment. Other campaign topics were immigration and the free movement of people between EU countries, energy and climate change, security of energy supply, environment and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Relations with Ukraine and Russia were prominent in the media coverage of campaigns in some countries, while the relationship with the UK and the possible referendum were also widely reported.

1 Source: Mapping the cost of Non-Europe, European Parliament Research Service

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Annex 1 - Percentage of men / women Members of the European Parliament

Of the total number of Members of the European Parliament, 37% are women and 63% men, a slight increase in the number of women from the from the last Parliament (35% women and 65% men). These are provisional figures at the date of publication.

The exact distribution of men and women will only be known at the inaugural session.

Total number Proportion of women Proportion of women Countries Men Women of MEPs June 2014 on 20 July 2009 Austria 18 10 8 44,44% 41,18% Belgium 21 15 6 28,57% 36,36% Bulgaria 17 12 5 29,41% 41,18% Croatia 11 6 5 45,45% - Cyprus 6 5 1 16,67% 33,33% Czech Republic 21 16 5 23,81% 18,18% Denmark 13 8 5 38,46% 46,15% Estonia 6 3 3 50,00% 50,00% Finland 13 6 7 53,85% 61,54% France 74 42 32 43,24% 45,83% Germany 96 61 35 36,46% 37,37% Greece 21 16 5 23,81% 31,82% Hungary 21 17 4 19,05% 36,36% Ireland 11 5 6 54,55% 25,00% Italy 73 44 29 39,73% 22,22% Latvia 8 5 3 37,50% 37,50% Lithuania 11 10 1 9,09% 25,00% Luxembourg 6 4 2 33,33% 16,67% Malta 6 2 4 66,67% 0,00% Netherlands 26 15 11 42,31% 48,00% Poland 51 39 12 23,53% 22,00% Portugal 21 13 8 38,10% 36,36% Romania 32 22 10 31,25% 36,36% Slovakia 13 9 4 30,77% 38,46% Slovenia 8 5 3 37,50% 28,57% Spain 54 32 22 40,74% 36,00% Sweden 20 9 11 55,00% 55,56% UK 73 43 30 41,10% 33,33% Total 751 474 277 36,88% 35,05% Based on information as of 25.06.2014 - Without prejudice to the composition of the EP at the inaugural session on 1 July 2014

Election year MEP Men (%) MEP Women (%) 1979 84 16 1984 82 18 1989 81 19 1994 74 26 1999 70 30 2004 69 31 2009 65 35 2014 64 36

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Annex 2 - Oldest and youngest MEPs by Member State

The oldest MEP is Mr Emmanouil Glezos, Greece, born 9.9.1922 (91), and the youngest Mr Anders Primdahl Vistisen, Denmark, born 12.11.1987 (26).

Nr of Country Youngest MEP Oldest MEP MEPs Austria 18 Ms Elisabeth KÖSTINGER,° 22.11.1978 Mr Josef WEIDENHOLZER, ° 6.3.1950 Belgium 21 Mr Hugues BAYET, ° 12.4.1975 Mr Gérard DEPREZ, ° 13.8.1943 Bulgaria 17 Mr Momchil NEKOV, ° 13.5.1986 Mr Georgi PIRINSKI, ° 10.9.1948 Croatia 11 Ms Marijana PETIR, ° 4.10.1975 Ms Dubravka ŠUICA, ° 20.5.1957 Cyprus 6 Mr Demetris PAPADAKIS, ° 1966 Ms Eleni THEOCHAROUS, ° 24.6.1953 Czech Rep. 21 Kateřina KONEČNÁ, ° 20.1.1981 Mr Jaromír ŠTĚTINA, ° 6.4.1943 Denmark 13 Mr Anders PRIMDAHL VISTISEN, ° 12.11.1987 Ms Margrete AUKEN, ° 6.1.1945 Estonia 6 Ms Kaja KALLAS, ° 18.6. 1977 Mr Tunne KELAM, ° 10.7.1936 Finland 13 Mr Sampo TERHO, ° 20.9.1977 Mr Nils TORVALDS, ° 7.8.1945 France 74 Mr Florian PHILIPPOT, ° 24.10.1981 Mr Jean-Marie LE PEN, ° 20.6.1928 Germany 96 Ms Theresa REINTKE, ° 9.5.1987 Mr Hans-Olaf HENKEL, ° 14.3.1940 Greece 21 Mr Nikolaos ANDROULAKIS, ° 1979 Mr Emmanouil GLEZOS, ° 9.9.1922 Hungary 21 Ms Andrea BOCSKOR, ° 1978 Mr. György SCHÖPFLIN, ° 24.11.1939 Ireland 11 Mr Matt CARTHY, ° 19.7.1977 Mr Sean KELLY, 26.4.1952 Italy 73 Mr Marco ZANNI, ° 11.7.1986 Ms Mercedes BRESSO, ° 12.7.1944 Latvia 8 Mr Andrejs MAMIKINS, °11.3.1976 Ms Tatjana ŽDANOKA, ° 8.5.1950 Lithuania 11 Mr Gabrielius LANDSBERGIS, ° 7.1.1982 Mr Algirdas SAUDARGAS, ° 17.4.1948 Luxembourg 6 Mr Frank ENGEL, ° 10.5.1975 Ms Mady DELVAUX-STEHRES, ° 11.10.1950 Malta 6 Ms Roberta METSOLA, ° 18.1.1979 Mr Alfred SANT, ° 28.2.1948 Netherlands 26 Ms Vicky MAEIJER, ° 7.9.1986 Mr Hans JANSEN, ° 17.11.1942 Poland 51 Mr Jarosław WAŁĘSA, ° 13.9.1976 Mr Adam GIEREK, ° 17.4.1938 Portugal 21 Ms Cláudia AGUIAR, ° 8.4.1982 Mr Fernando RUAS, ° 15.1.1949 Romania 32 Mr Victor NEGRESCU, ° 17.8.1985 Mr Theodor Dumitru STOLOJAN, ° 24.10.1943 Slovakia 13 Ms Jana ŽITŇANSKÁ, ° 14.5.1974 Mr Eduard KUKAN, ° 26.12.1939 Slovenia 8 Ms Tanja FAJON, ° 9.5.1971 Mr Ivo VAJGL, ° 3.3.1943 Spain 54 Mr Javier LÓPEZ FERNÁNDEZ, ° 1985 Mr Carlos Jiménez VILLAREJO, ° 3.6.1935 Sweden 20 Ms Jytte GUTELAND, ° 16.9.1979 Ms Marit PAULSEN, ° 24.11.1939 UK 73 Mr Tim AKER, ° 1985 Mr Roger HELMER, ° 25.1.1944 Based on information as of 25.06.2014 - Without prejudice to the composition of the EP at the inaugural session on 1 July 2014

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Annex 3 - Percentage of re-elected and new MEPs by Member State

The highest percentage of re-elected MEPs is in Germany with almost 70%, the highest proportion of newly elected MEPs is in Greece where none of previous members was re-elected. Figures here are provisional at the date of publication.

Country New MEPs Re-elected Total % New MEPs % Re-elected MEPs MEPs Austria 8 10 18 44,44% 55,56% Belgium 9 12 21 42,86% 57,14% Bulgaria 10 7 17 58,82% 41,18% Croatia 4 7 11 36,36% 63,64% Cyprus 4 2 6 66,67% 33,33% Czech Republic 15 6 21 71,43% 28,57% Denmark 6 7 13 46,15% 53,85% Estonia 4 2 6 66,67% 33,33% Finland 7 6 13 53,85% 46,15% France 36 38 74 59,72% 40,28% Germany 29 67 96 30,21% 69,79% Greece 21 0 21 100% 0% Hungary 11 10 21 52,38% 47,62% Ireland 5 6 11 45,45% 54,55% Italy 50 23 73 68,49% 31,51% Latvia 4 4 8 50,00% 50,00% Lithuania 5 6 11 45,45% 54,55% Luxembourg 2 4 6 33,33% 66,67% Malta 3 3 6 50,00% 50,00% Netherlands 14 12 26 53,85% 46,15% Poland 26 25 51 50,98% 49,02% Portugal 12 9 21 57,14% 42,86% Romania 12 20 32 37,50% 62,50% Slovakia 7 6 13 53,85% 46,15% Slovenia 4 4 8 50,00% 50,00% Spain 31 23 54 57,41% 42,59% Sweden 10 10 20 50,00% 50,00% UK 31 42 73 42,47% 57,53% Total 380 371 751 50,60% 49,40% Based on information as of 25.06.2014 - Without prejudice to the composition of the EP at the inaugural session on 1 July 2014

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Annex 4 - Facts and figures on new MEPs

Below is a summary of some facts and figures on the new European Parliament. This information can still change. N.B. not all elected candidates will take their seat.

Re-elected / new MEPs Re-elected MEPs 50,60% New MEPs 49,40% Highest proportion of re-elected MEPs 69,79% (Germany) Highest proportion of new MEPs 100% (Greece)

Women / men Women 36,65% (35,05% incoming Parliament 2009) Men 63,35% (64,95% incoming Parliament 2009) Highest proportion of women 66,67% (Malta) Lowest proportion of women 9,09% (Lithuania)

Youngest / oldest Youngest MEP: Mr Anders Primdahl Vistisen, born 12.11.1987 (26) Oldest MEP: Mr Mr Emmanouil Glezos, born 9.9.1922 (91)

Commissioners elected as MEPs Mr Karel De Gucht, Belgium Mr Janusz Lewandowski, Poland Ms Viviane Reding, Luxembourg Mr Olli Rehn, Finland Mr Maroš Šefčovič, Slovakia Mr , Italy

Former prime ministers elected as MEPs Mr Andrus Ansip, Estonia Mr Jerzy Buzek, Poland Mr Valdis Dombrovskis, Latvia Ms Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Finland Mr Lojze Peterle, Slovenia Mr Alfred Sant, Malta Mr Theodor Stolojan, Romania Mr , Belgium

Number of national parties and movements 186 (165 in outgoing Parliament)

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Annex 5 - Draft agenda's plenary sessions July 2014

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