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On 25 November 2021, the European Commission submitted a proposal to modify Directive 93/109/EC on the right of mobile European Union (EU) citizens – those residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals – to vote and stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament. Directive 93/109/EC gave EU citizens the same rights to vote and to be elected to the European Parliament as the citizens of the Member State in which they reside. However, Member States have varying rules on the ...

This study shows how parliaments in the EU-27 Member States, as well as Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, exercise the budgetary control function. While the principles underpinning budgetary control are consistent, practices and cultures differ considerably.

These country fiches show how parliaments in the EU-27 Member States as well as Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, exercise the budgetary control function, as well as the structure and timeline of budgetary control in those parliaments.

The European Parliament is vested with powers of democratic oversight and political scrutiny vis-à-vis the European Commission. These powers of Parliament enhance the democratic legitimacy of the EU as a whole, and help increase the transparency and accountability of the Commission as the EU's executive body. This study examines Parliament's oversight and scrutiny powers over the Commission. It focuses mainly, but not exclusively, on the powers that are enshrined in specific provisions of the EU ...

Accession to the European Union is a long process, requiring not only legislative, administrative and economic adaptation to EU standards, but also a degree of adaptation to the working methods of the EU institutions. One of these new working methods candidate countries must navigate is how the European Parliament organises its activities, how members interact, and how to build alliances and dialogue among the various political families represented in Parliament. Parliament's rules of procedure allow ...

The Policy Hub on Better Law-Making hold on 18 February, 2025 focused on challenges to EU law making. The French Senate’s report was presented and perceived as a wake-up call, urging a shift towards effective, accessible law-making in the EU. Academics highlighted issues of excessive legislation, the need for clearer and citizen-centered laws. They emphasized the need for simplifying legal texts, improving democratic scrutiny by the European Parliament, and fostering collaboration with academia ...

Based on its Treaties, the European Union (EU) has developed a multifaceted external action policy, and is seen as an important actor far beyond its borders. Through its institutions and Member States, the EU is active in international trade, humanitarian assistance, economic, financial, and technical and development cooperation, as well as through its common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and common security and defence policy (CSDP). Increasingly, the external dimension of internal EU policies ...

The LUX Audience Award is the largest audience film award in the European Union, presented by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, in collaboration with Creative Europe MEDIA and Europa Cinemas. Each year, five films are nominated for the award, all tackling important social and political issues within the EU, while showcasing some of Europe's most exciting filmmakers. Beyond being a film prize, the award strengthens European film distribution, promotes gender equality, and fosters ...

In the 2024 European Parliament elections turnout varied significantly across EU Member States, influenced by institutional factors such as compulsory voting and concurrent elections. Socioeconomic disparities persisted; older, higher-educated, and wealthier citizens were more likely to vote, while economically disadvantaged and unemployed individuals participated less. Gender and age gaps in turnout reaffirmed the importance of role models and political efficacy in mobilization. Vote choice reflected ...

The European Electoral Act decrees that the Members of the European Parliament shall be elected on the basis of proportional representation, using the list system or the single transferable vote. There is much leeway for a Member State to turn terms like “proportional representation” or “the list system” into executable rules. As a result, Member States differ considerably as to their electoral provisions. The briefing presents an overview of the vote patterns used by the Member States, of the apportionment ...