Beobachter im Europäischen Parlament
Observers in the European Parliament
Observateurs au Parlement européen

The Observers' Handbook

Guía del Observador		Průvodce pro pozorovatele
Håndbog for observatører		Käsiraamat vaatlejatele
Leitfaden für den Empfang der Beobachter		Novērotāju rokasgrāmata
Eνηµερωτικό εγχειρίδιο για τους παρατηρητές		Stebėtojų priėmimo knygelė
Handbook for the Observers		A megfigyelők kézikönyve
Livret d'accueil des observateurs		Manwâl għall-Osservaturi
Opuscolo di benvenuto per gli osservatori		Przewodnik dla obserwatorów
Wegwijzer voor de waarnemers		Príručka pre pozorovateľov
Guia dos Observadores		Informativni priročnik za opazovalce
Opas tarkkailijoille
Handbok för observatörer

General information about the Observers

Following the signature of the Accession Treaty in Athens on 16 April 2003, the President of the European Parliament has invited the parliaments of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia to appoint, from among their Members, men and women as observers to the European Parliament. The number of observers appointed by each Parliament is equivalent to the number of Members of the European Parliament allocated to that country by the Accession Treaty, and the appointment of observers is made with due regard to the political composition of the parliament concerned.

The number of observers from each country is as follows:

Each observer may be affiliated to a political group within the European Parliament and take part in the work of that group.

Observers may attend plenary sittings of the European Parliament but may not speak, vote or stand for election. In committees and delegations, observers may be invited to speak by the chairman but may not vote or stand for election.

The term of office of an observer will end when his/her country joins the European Union and at the latest at the conclusion of the current parliamentary term in 2004.