Welcome to the European Parliament 2012 European Parliament

Welcome to the European Parliament © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit

European Union EU 27 Accession countries Candidate countries © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit

Institutional triangle European Commission 27 commissioners Right of initiative Implementation of the European policies and budget European Parliament Council of the EU 754 members representing the European citizens 27 ministers representing the Member States Adoption of legislation and budget Democratic supervision Concluding international agreements © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit

Lisbon Treaty: Main innovations European Commission Subsidiarity check by national parliaments European citizens initiative European Parliament Council of the EU Codecision: the ordinary legislative procedure More voting by qualified majority More control over the budget 2014: double majority © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit

Key figures of the European Union Jose Manuel Barroso Martin Schulz President of the European Commission President of the European Parliament Herman Van Rompuy President of the European Council © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union Catherine Ashton High Representative

European Parliament’s powers Legislative power Parliamentary control Most EU laws are adopted jointly by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU Parliament supervises other EU institutions and can pass a vote of no-confidence in the European Commission Budgetary power Enlargement decisions Parliament decides the EU annual budget together with the Council Parliament‘s assent is required for the accession of any new Member States © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit

Seat distribution Member State 754 Germany France United Kingdom Italy Spain Poland Romania Netherlands Belgium Czech Rep. Greece Hungary Portugal Sweden © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit Seats Member State Seats 99 74 73 73 54 51 33 26 22 22 22 20 Austria Bulgaria Denmark Finland Slovakia Ireland Lithuania Latvia Slovenia Estonia Cyprus Luxembourg Malta 19 18 13 13 13 12 12 9 8 6 6

Political groups 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 58 ALDE: Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Greens/EFA: Group of the Greens / European Free Alliance ECR: European Conservatives and Reformists Group 85 271 190 57 GUE/NGL: Confederal Group of the European United Left / Nordic Green Left EFD: Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group Non-attached © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit 29 34 30 Situation as of 14 December 2011

Parliamentary committees 20 • • • • • 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 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 © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit

Parliament’s calendar: 2012 COMMITTEE MEETINGS POLITICAL GROUP MEETINGS PLENARY SESSIONS EXTERNAL PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit

Budget of the European Union Expenditure 2012 EU as a global player Agriculture Rural development, environment & fisheries Cohesion Citizenship, Freedom, Security & Justice Administration Competitiveness Total: EUR 129, 1 billion © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit 1, 86 % increase on 2011 0, 98 % of EU 27 GNI

Budget of the European Union Revenue 2012 GNI resource Other revenue 1, 2% VAT resource Sugar levies 0, 1% Total: EUR 129, 1 billion © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit Custom duties Estimate % of total revenue

The ordinary legislative procedure Schematic overview European Commission Right of initative European Parliament Council of the EU First reading Second reading Third reading Conciliation committee © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit

Sakharov prize for freedom of thought 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1980 1989 1988 Arab Spring activists Guillermo Fariñas Memorial Hu Jia Salih Mahmoud Osman Alexandre Milinkevitch Ladies in White, Hauwa Ibrahim and Reporters Without Borders Zhanna Litvina, President of the Belarus Association of Journalists Secretarul General ONU, Kofi Annan, si intregul staff ONU Oswaldo Jos Pay Sardias Izzat Ghazzawi, Nurit Peled-Elhanan and Dom Zacarias Kamwenho ¡ Basta Ya ! José Alejandro 'Xanana' Gusmão Ibrahim Rugova Salima Ghezali Wei Jingsheng Líela Zana Taslima Nasreen Oslobodjenje Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo Adem Demaçi Aung San Suu Kyi Alexander Dubcek Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and Anatoli Marchenko (postum) © 2012 European Parliament, Visits and Seminars Unit

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