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Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament
8th parliamentary term - April 2015
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CONTENTS
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NOTE TO THE READER

TITLE I  : MEMBERS, PARLIAMENT BODIES AND POLITICAL GROUPS
CHAPTER 4  : POLITICAL GROUPS

Rule 32  : Formation of political groups

1.    Members may form themselves into groups according to their political affinities.

Parliament need not normally evaluate the political affinity of members of a group. In forming a group together under this Rule, the Members concerned accept by definition that they have political affinity. Only when this is denied by the Members concerned is it necessary for Parliament to evaluate whether the group has been constituted in accordance with the Rules.

2.    A political group shall comprise Members elected in at least one-quarter of the Member States. The minimum number of Members required to form a political group shall be 25.

3.    If a group falls below the required threshold, the President, with the agreement of the Conference of Presidents, may allow it to continue to exist until Parliament's next constitutive sitting, provided the following conditions are met:

-    the members continue to represent at least one-fifth of the Member States;

-    the group has been in existence for a period longer than a year.

The President shall not apply this derogation where there is sufficient evidence to suspect that it is being abused.

4.    A Member may not belong to more than one political group.

5.    The President shall be notified in a statement when a political group is set up. This statement shall specify the name of the group and the names of its members and bureau members.

6.    The statement shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

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