MembersThe current 754 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are
directly elected by voters in the EU Member States. The MEPs form groups in
the EP along political lines rather than on the basis of the countries from which they
stem. For example, the EP has large groups of Christian-Democratic (European
People’s Party) and Social-Democratic politicians (Progressive Alliance of
Socialists and Democrats).
With the increasing number of Member States in the EU, there is a tendency for
the EP to have more and more MEPs. This development has given rise to
discussions about the proper composition of the EP and number of MEPs. The
discussion has not been resolved completely yet, as is illustrated by the following
formulation of Article 14, Section 2 TEU:
The European Parliament shall be composed of representatives of the Union’s citizens.
They shall not exceed seven hundred and fifty in number, plus the President. Representation
of citizens shall be degressively proportional, with a minimum threshold of six members
per Member State. No Member State shall be allocated more than ninety-six seats...
The EP has its seat in Brussels, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg. By way of a
political compromise, the EP holds plenary meetings, on average once a month, in
Strasbourg for a week and spends the rest of its time in Brussels where other
meetings are held. The Luxembourg seat is used mainly for administrative
purposes.
10.4.3 The Council of Ministers
MembersThe Council of Ministers, also called the “EU Council,” consists of
Ministers from the Member States. Which Ministers are included depends on the
issue that is at stake. If, for instance, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the
EU must be discussed, the Ministers of Agriculture will represent their national
governments in theAgriculture and Fisheries Council. When monetary issues are at
stake, the Ministers of the Treasury are the obvious participants in theEcofin
Council, while Ministers of Justice typically participate in theJustice and Home
Affairs Council.
Note that the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the Ecofin Council and the Justice and
Home Affairs Council are all instantiations of the same EU institution, the Council of
Ministers.Task The main responsibility of the Council of Ministers is to take policy and
legislative decisions, often in cooperation with other EU institutions. Because the
Commission is not as well staffed as national governments are, much of the real
execution of EU policies must take place through the apparatus of the Member
States. The EU Council functions as an intermediary between the world of Brussels
and the national governments.
220 J. Hage