Local and EU elections 2009

Introduction

The European Parliament is the transnational legislature of the European Union. Despite its relatively low profile, it is one of the most powerful legislatures in the world, with the power to directly influence, amend or reject EU legislation, which is enforced across the largest single market in the world.

The European Parliament is the joint legislative body of the European Union, in conjunction with the Council Of Ministers (meetings of the relevant national Ministers). It has direct competence to amend and vote down single market legislation; offers non-binding opinions on the justice and foreign affairs policies of the EU; and can reject the appointment of European Commissioners and sack the entire Commission. Its actions are crucial for the future of Europe.

Countries elect members using a regional list system, meaning seats are awarded directly in line with the proportion of the vote obtained by the political parties. Elections are fought by national political parties, which then join transnational groupings in the Parliament. These groupings are based on ideology rather than nationality, and membership brings increased speaking time, EU funding and voting rights.

How it works

The European People’s Party (EPP) is the main centre-right grouping and includes the governing parties of France, Germany and Italy. It used to count the British Conservative Party among its members, although this is set to change in the coming weeks. Its leader in the European Parliament last term was French MEP Joseph Daul.

The Party of European Socialists (PES) is the main centre left grouping. It includes the British Labour Party, the French Socialists and the German Social Democratic Party. Its current leader in the European parliament is German Martin Schultz.

The Alliance of Liberal Democrats (ALDE) is the liberal group, home to the British Liberal Democrats and led by Graham Watson MEP.

Les Verts is the alliance of Green parties, including environmentalists from across Europe including the UK.

The Nordic Green Left (NGL) consists of far-left parties including the Parti Communiste Française and the Greek Communist Party. Other members include Sinn Fein. It is led by French Communist Francis Wurtz.

The Union for a Europe of the Nations (UEN) is a right-wing grouping which contained (until recently) the post-fascist movement in Italy and former Polish governing coalition the Law and Justice Party/League of Polish families. It also contains Fianna Fail, Ireland’s governing party who, for historical reasons, will not sit with the British Conservatives in the EPP.

Independence and Democracy (IND/DEM) Is the Euro sceptic grouping, whose main contributor is the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). It also includes Euro sceptics from Poland and Denmark, and is led by UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

MEPs who are not members of a transnational group sit as non-attached members. Traditionally, this has consisted of the far-right (notably the French National Front) alongside members expelled from their party’s group (such as Daniel Hannan and Roger Helmer of the British Conservatives and Robert Kilroy-Silk, Ashley Mote and Tom Wise of UKIP).

Results 2009

With turnout at its lowest level ever at just over 43% of the electorate, members of the PES have seen their share of the vote fall to just 22% across the continent. This has been mainly to the benefit of the centre right EPP (on 36%), and those on the extreme right. Nationally, there have been painful defeats for centre-left parties in France (where the opposition Socialist party is split between followers of leader Martine Aubrey and ex-Presidential candidate Segolene Royal), Germany (where the opposition SDP is suffering from the popularity of current Chancellor Angela Merkel, and suffered its worst results ever in European elections) and the UK (where the ruling Labour Party has been hit hard by the recent scandal over expenses and Gordon Brown’s handling of the financial crisis).

The media focus, however, has been on the increased prominence of far-right, racist and homophobic parties across Europe. In Britain, the British National Party (which advocates voluntary repatriation and a strong anti-Islamic focus) won its first two seats in the European Parliament; the French National Front (led by Jean-Marie le Pen) won three; and in the Netherlands the Freedom Party (led by Geert Wilders, whose anti-Islamic views earned him a ban from travelling to the UK) came second nationally with four seats.

What now?

There are still big questions that will shape the future of Europe which are still to be answered in the wake of the election. The 736 newly elected Members of the European Parliament will meet for the first time on 14 July in Strasbourg. Their first job will be to form themselves into trans-national political groups and then to elect a President and 14 Vice-presidents who will serve for the next two and a half years. New Members may also have to vote on whether to give José Manuel Barroso another 5 year term as president of the European Commission. To form a recognised political group - with all the access to the parliament's agenda and funding that goes with it - requires 25 Members from 7 different countries. The Strasbourg sitting of 14-16 will see Members take their seats from the very first day.

As the British Conservative party has long promised to leave the EPP following this election because of its federalist tendencies, it is still unclear who will sit with whom in the new Parliament. So far, the Conservatives will be taking the Czech Civic Democratic Party (the party of President Vaclaw Klaus) and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from the EPP grouping, and the Polish Law and Justice Party from UEN, along with smaller parties from Denmark, Lithuania and Latvia. This gives them a total of around fifty seats. This leaves many parties in an interesting position. The Irish party of government Fianna Fail, who would not sit with the Conservatives, are still unlikely to join the EPP as rival party Fianna Gael is already a member. It is likely to join ALDE instead.

There may also be another attempt to form a far right group. This was tried towards the end of the last Parliamentary term. The group was called Independence, Tradition and Sovereignty (ITS), but it disbanded within months of its inception. The composition of these groups will shape how the question of the Presidency of the European Parliament is dealt with. Traditionally, the PES and EPP have split the job over the five-year Parliamentary term, with a PES candidate taking the job for two and a half years and the EPP candidate taking it for the other two and a half. However, ALDE leader Graham Watson has made a very public bid for the job this time around, and such an arrangement would not be unprecedented, as former Liberal leader Pat Cox had the job from 2002-4 under a deal with the EPP.

The issue is intertwined with that of the Presidency of the Commission, which requires the approval of the Parliament. Joseph Daul, EPP chair, has suggested a ‘grad coalition’ of the EPP, PES and ALDE to reappoint EPP-aligned President Jose Manuel Barroso. However, Watson has said he would prefer an alignment of EPP and ALDE, although this would fall short of a Parliamentary majority. A grand coalition may decide that if the EPP is to get the Presidency of the Commission, then the job of President of the Parliament should be split between ALDE and PES.

Once the issue of the Presidency has been resolved, many questions will still remain over appointments to Parliamentary committees.

Real power in the European Parliament is exercised by its standing committees. In the process of proposing and drafting legislation, the European Commission will consult the various Standing Committees during the Co decision procedure (where decision-making power is shared between the Council of Ministers and the member states). These committees will produce reports, propose amendments to the draft legislation, and provide, if necessary, a drafted legislative resolution.

Committees are also able to produce non-legislative reports. The appointed rapporteur – an MEP - is responsible for preparing the report, and presenting it to Parliament on the Committee’s behalf. These reports must include a motion for a resolution, an explanatory statement, and must also outline financial implications.

European Parliament Standing Committees

Foreign affairs (AFET)
Development (DEVE)
International trade (INTA)
Budgets (BUDG)
Budgetary control (CONT)
Economic and monetary affairs (ECON)
Employment and social affairs (EMPL)
Environment, public health and food safety (ENVI)
Industry, research and energy (ITRE)
Internal market and consumer protection (IMCO)
Transport and tourism (TRAN)
Regional development (REGI)
Agriculture and rural development (AGRI)
Fisheries (PECH)
Culture and education (CULT)
Legal affairs (JURI)
Civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE)
Constitutional affairs (AFCO)
Women’s rights and gender equality (FEMM)
Petitions (PETI)
Human rights (subcommittee) (DROI)
Security and defence (subcommittee) (SEDE) 

Committees can also produce reports relevant to their competence, without having to be consulted. These are called "Own-Initiative Reports", and are used to submit a motion for a resolution to the full Parliament.

Before drawing up any such report, a Committee must obtain the permission of the Conference of Presidents. This is the twice monthly meeting of Parliamentary group leaders, which also decides which committee can review proposed legislation if there is a conflict.

Navigating the European maze

The competences of the European Union are far reaching, with over half of all laws now made in Brussels. The European Parliament plays a key role in most legislative debates, sharing decision-making power with the Council on internal market regulation.

Chelgate have over twenty years experience in working with EU stakeholders and defending the interests of our clients. We have worked with a large number of clients in energy and environment, building and planning, information technology, education and occupational safety and health.

Nick Wood-Dow, our deputy chairman, has served as an advisor to the European People’s Party, the largest group in the European Parliament. A public affairs professional with over thirty years experience, Nick is well versed on the goings on in Brussels and Strasbourg, and is able to put together a strategic contact and stakeholder programme that gets clients to the heart of the Brussels machine.

Our European affairs manager Peter Beckett has served as an assistant to a prominent Labour MEP; worked as an advisor to the Brussels office of a British Regional Development Agency; and reported on EU politics as a producer for the BBC. He has also worked as a freelance journalist and public relations advisor, during which time his largest client was the European Commission’s Representation in the UK.

To discuss your needs, call Peter to arrange an initial consultation on +44 207 939 7939