The European Parliament is the legislative branch of the European Union and one of the bloc’s three main institutions, along with the European Commission, which is the executive branch, and the European Council, which is made up of government ministers from the 27 member states.
The Parliament sits mainly in Brussels, Belgium, but travels about once a month to Strasbourg, France.
It is the only EU institution where representatives are directly elected and where MEPs vote on laws that are applied across the bloc. For a law to be implemented, both the Council and Parliament must give their consent.
One of the most important roles of Parliament is to approve the composition of the Commission, which is ultimately responsible for the political direction of the world’s largest trading bloc, and has the final say on the appointment of the Commission president. Currently, the most important position is held by Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen, who is running for a second term as Commission president.
The Parliament also has the final say on billions of euros allocated to the EU budget. It often has the final say on major policy issues such as the budget, trade and sanctions against foreign nationals.
Parliament can also freeze major international goals. For example, a comprehensive mutual investment agreement between the EU and China is on hold while some MEPs are under Chinese sanctions. The Parliament as a whole has refused to advance the deal until the sanctions are lifted.
cnn
