SPECIAL REPORT Key points for the 8th term of the European Parliament (2014-2019) Madrid, November 2014 BARCELONA BOGOTÁ BUENOS AIRES LIMA LISBOA MADRID MÉXICO PANAMÁ QUITO RIO J SÃO PAULO SANTIAGO STO DOMINGO KEY POINTS FOR THE 8TH TERM OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (2014-2019) 1. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 1. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2. THE LATEST ELECTION The European Parliament has, since its creation in 1962 in the 3. MAIN ISSUES IN THE context of the evolution of European integration, become the LEGISLATIVE AGENDA European Union (EU) Institution to have gained more power and 4. SPANISH DELEGATION relevance in the decision-making process of the Union. Indeed, over the years, it has gained increasingly important powers, legitimized 5. CONCLUSIONS and differentiated by the fact that it is the only EU Institution to be 6. APPENDIX 1: COMPETENCES elected by universal suffrage. 7. APPENDIX 2: CURRENT COMPOSITION OF THE It has evolved from being a mere advisory body to having the COMMITTEES power to co-legislate, together with the Council, in more than 85 legislative areas, exercising legislative powers as well as powers 8. APPENDIX 3: THE CURRENT of budgetary and political control. It also wields a considerable BUREAU OF THE EUROPEAN amount of political influence, and its competences include those PARLIAMENT of electing the President of the European Commission, vetoing the 9. APPENDIX 4: EUROPEAN appointment of the College, and even forcing the resignation of the PARLIAMENT DELEGATIONS entire Commission after a motion of no confidence. AUTHORS The official headquarters of the Parliament are in Strasbourg, where the main plenary sessions are held. However, its activities also take LLORENTE & CUENCA place in its Luxembourg and mainly Brussels, where additional plenary sessions and committee meetings take place. More than 500 million Union citizens are represented in the European Parliament by 751 MEPs, 54 of whom are Spanish. Every 5 years, the Members of Parliament, allocated to each of the 28 Member States in accordance to population, are elected by direct universal suffrage. 2 KEY POINTS FOR THE 8TH TERM OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (2014-2019) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2014 2. THE LATEST ELECTION the person who would hold this 52 position. A delicate game of This year’s European Parliament behind-the-scenes negotiations 48 221 elections have marked a new and press statements started in democratic milestone in the order to see who would be the 50 history of the Union. For the first chosen one. time, European political parties 52 have nominated candidates Some Member States led by the to the presidency of the United Kingdom, unsuccessfully Commission. Heretofore, it was tried to torpedo Juncker’s the European Council that chose candidacy, which gave rise to a 67 the President of the Commission clash between the Parliament on the basis of the results of the and the European Council. election, leaving Parliament the Due to the conversations held 191 70 possibility to, either approve or by the leaders of Government not, this appointment. of the Member States, the intermediation of the President EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2009 This time was different. of the European Council and to The Spitzenkandidaten, or the joint influence of the three 31 33 candidates nominated by main parliamentary groups, 35 274 political parties, campaigned the Parliament came out on so that European citizens could top. Juncker was finally named 57 vote for the next President of the President of the Commission by Commission in the Parliamentary the European Council, to later 57 elections. Being the only body be elected by the Parliament. democratically elected, the Parliament demanded the This marked a turning point in power that corresponds to the the history of the Union. Even representatives of the citizens. though the effects of Juncker’s 83 This step forward is a true show of election as President may not 196 strength on behalf of Parliament, be fully visible to the citizens taking into consideration the of Europe, it established a accusations of democratic deficit new institutional balance in in EU Institutions. the Union. The Parliament has EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2009 gained ground vis-a-vis the (before the Lisbon Treaty) The winner of the election Member States in its latest 27 was Jean-Claude Juncker, power increase since the first 54 the former Prime Minister of election in 1979. 32 265 Luxembourg and a member of the European People’s Party, As was previously mentioned, 35 who secured the support of the winner of the latest election the main Parliamentary groups, was the European People’s Party 55 Socialists and Liberals, in order which, despite experiencing to become the future President a considerable drop, second of the Commission. 221 of the 751 seats. This figure is far from a majority, 84 However, the Heads of State as is usual in the European Government had still to appoint Parliament, and once again the 184 EPP ECR GUE/NGL MELD S&D ALDE Greens/EFA NI 3 KEY POINTS FOR THE 8TH TERM OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (2014-2019) main parliamentary groups will growth and sustainability, will be have to foster agreements and an integral part of the work of compromises as their main tools MEPs during this term. to work in a divided hemicycle. Proposals to improve and promote Participation was only 43%, ICTs, or to improve citizen which reflects a significant dip protection, social rights, and since 1979, when 62% of voters general consumer interests will elected their representatives be discussed. So-called energy “Perhaps the most in Strasbourg. Even though this islands will also be analysed, relevant area of may seem alarming, it should and intercommunication and legislative action for be noted that participation interconnection between the next years is the is not too different in many national electricity networks field of economy and established democracies, and will be promoted. Work will be finance” participation in the European done towards the improvement Parliament election is higher of renewable energy sources, than the average participation in and new frameworks for action the federal legislative elections will be established in order to to Congress in the United States. fight against climate change. As regards to trade policy, the priority will be the negotiations 3. MAIN ISSUES IN THE with the United Sates in regards LEGISLATIVE AGENDA to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). An exhaustive analysis of the various political and institutional Perhaps the most relevant area of changes that have taken place in legislative action for the coming Brussels, the economic and socio- years is the field of economy and political situation in Europe, finance. After experiencing the and the programme of the new worst economic and financial President of the Commission crisis in decades, the first signs make it possible to foreshadow of a slight recovery start to the issues that will be discussed show. Due in part to the effort of during this Parliament. Member States, but also to the actions and decisions of European Jean-Claude Juncker, the institutions, the Union is now president of the Commission, better prepared and above all has gave in his keynote acceptance sounder structures. Legislation speech a number of basic lines of from Brussels, such as Solvency II, action which not only established or European Directive 2013/36/EU the composition and organisation on Access to the Activity of Credit of the new Commission, but also Institutions and the Prudential provided the key aspects and main Supervision of Credit Institutions fields of action. and Investment Firms (CRD IV), have played a crucial role in These basic lines were established Europe’s recovery. We are now on the basis of a main goal: job in a new stage of EU integration, creation, which, together with with the establishment of a single 4 KEY POINTS FOR THE 8TH TERM OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (2014-2019) SPAIN 2014 bank regulator which has been The irruption of new political an important step towards the forces, together with citizen’s 1 2 1 creation of a Banking Union. disenchantment and disaffection 2 16 towards the main parties, account 3 Now that the worst part of the for this drop. crisis seems to have passed, the trend is now to leave austerity and The number of Spaniards on 4 crisis measures behind and apply the Bureau of the European policies to stimulate growth. Parliament as well as chairing For this reason, such aspects as Parliamentary Committees is 5 the increase in investment have thus considerably lower. In the become particularly important. 7th Term, Spain had two Vice- Juncker has announced an Presidents of the Parliament: 6 investment package of more Alejo Vidal-Quadras, who was 14 than 300 billion euros to be still in the PP at the time, and the PP approved before Christmas. socialist Miguel Ángel Martínez. PSOE New European supervision This term, Ramón Luis Valcárcel La Izquierda Plural laws, and the harmonisation (PP) is the only Spanish VP. Podemos of payment methods have UPyD also been announced. This is Furthermore, this drop in the CEU confirmed by the recent fall number of seats by the main EPDD economic forecasts by the parties has also led to a decrease C’s European Commission. These in the number of Chairs and LPD predict a further strengthening Vice-Chairs of Parliamentary Primavera Europea of the economy in the next two Committees. Spaniards have gone years, due to the effects of the from chairing the Committee on structural reforms implemented Fisheries and the Committee during the crisis, as well as on Civil Liberties, Justice, and SPAIN 2009 the improvement of financing Home Affairs, to chairing the conditions, the implementation Committee on Women’s Rights of stimulus policies and the and Gender Equality and the 1 1 2 24 improvement of labour markets.