Lernmaterialien für EU TEST an der Westsächsische Hochschule

Parliament's work comprises two main stages:

• Committees - to prepare legislation.
  The Parliament numbers 20  committees and three subcommittees, each handling a particular policy area. The committees examine proposals for legislation, and MEPs and political groups can put forward amendments or propose to reject a bill. These issues are also debated within the political groups.
• Plenary sessions  – to pass legislation.
  This is when all the MEPs gather in the chamber to give a final vote on the proposed legislation and the proposed amendments. Normally held in Strasbourg for four days a month, but sometimes there are additional sessions in Brussels.

In the Council of the EU, informally also known as the Council, government ministers from each EU country meet to discuss, amend and adopt laws, and coordinate policies. The ministers have the authority to commit their governments to the actions agreed on in the meetings.

Together with the European Parliament, the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU.

Not to be confused with:

• European Council - quarterly summits, where EU leaders meet to set the broad direction of EU policy making
• Council of Europe - not an EU body at all

Legislative

• Passing EU laws, together with the Council of the EU, based on European Commission proposals
• Deciding on international agreements
• Deciding on enlargements
• Reviewing the Commission's work programme and asking it to propose legislation

Supervisory

• Democratic scrutiny of all EU institutions
• Electing the Commission President and approving the Commission as a body. Possibility of voting a motion of censure, obliging the Commission to resign
• Granting discharge, i.e. approving the way EU budgets have been spent
• Examining citizens' petitions and setting up inquiries
• Discussing monetary policy with the European Central Bank
• Questioning Commission and Council
• Election observations

Budgetary

• Establishing the EU budget, together with the Council
• Approving the EU's long-term budget, the "Multiannual Financial Framework"

The number of MEPs for each country is roughly proportionate to its population, but this is by degressive proportionality: no country can have fewer than 6 or more than 96 MEPs and the total number cannot exceed 705 (704 plus the President). MEPs are grouped by political affiliation, not by nationality.

The President  represents Parliament to other EU institutions and the outside world and gives the final go-ahead to the EU budget.

The European Council brings together EU leaders to set the EU's political agenda. It represents the highest level of political cooperation between EU countries.

One of the EU's 7 official institutions, the European Council takes the form of (usually quarterly) summit meetings between EU leaders, chaired by a permanent president.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) interprets EU law to make sure it is applied in the same way in all EU countries, and settles legal disputes between national governments and EU institutions.

It can also, in certain circumstances, be used by individuals, companies or organisations to take action against an EU institution, if they feel it has somehow infringed their rights.