The European Parliament is a directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU).  You, as a member of the European public, vote in its 736 members (MEPs) every five years. The Parliament plays a decisive role in the creation of Europe-wide laws on many issues that affect your everyday life – for example, in the areas of environmental protection, consumer rights, equal opportunities, justice, transport, and the free movement of workers, capital, services and goods.


The MEPs are there to represent you at the EU level in debates on these key matters. But you need to be active if you want your voice heard. You need to be informed.

EU politics and law making procedures are complex – unfortunately this is inevitable when 27 different countries come together, with their own cultures, languages and national situations. And this means that the Parliament’s role and how it operates are similarly intricate.

Meanwhile, you can find a wealth of detailed information and access official documents at the European Parliament’s official website.

A virtual tour inside the European Parliament

European Parliament hemicycle in Strasbourg

European Parliament in Brussels