EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2014 The importance of voting forEUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

University Assistant PhD Elena Simona VrnceanuAlexandru Ioan Cuza UniversityofIasi, RomaniaFaculty of Philosophy and Social-Political Science

Muncel, Romania 5-7 May 2014

Young European CitizenYoung European Citizen is:1. living in one of the 28 countries2. studding/working3. interested in her/his age problems (learning, jobs, families, loveetc.)

Why should I go to vote for European Parliament?

Because of reason 1, 2, 3Im also living in European UnionIm studding/working for an European work marketIm living the European youth dilemma based on a social, economical, political framework of European Union

Young European CitizenThe aim of our seminar:To understand, to explain and to promote the role of European Parliament (EP) as an expression of representativity, responsibility and power in European institutional designee.

Specific objectives of our meeting are:to explain the evolution of EPto present an overview of EP electionsto find the best solutions in order to determine young people to vote

That is why we need to develop a matrix based on strong arguments for convincing young electors to be responsible for their political future.(GAIA PRESENTATION)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV8MwBXmewU(GAIA)Mission (Im)PossibleTom Cruise: Mission ImpossibleA mediocre presentation is available to everyone!A good one is for the best students!! and A great one is only for a few cases!!

Ill stick to a comprehensive and realistic presentation!!

One word.Please write one single word that candescribe your opinion about EP

One word.Explain the word that you chosen earlier

Analytical Approach of European ParliamentConcepts:EvolutionPower of decisionRole in institutional designeeThe elections processThe responsibilities of European citizensVote Perspectives

Historical overviewWith 142 Members, the Assembly met for the first time in Strasbourg on 19 March 1958 as the European Parliamentary Assembly, subsequently changing its name to European Parliament.

European Coal and Steel Communitys Common Assembly - Treaty of Paris (1951)

was expanded to cover all three CommunitiesEuropean Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) - Treaty of Rome in (1957)

The European Parliament in over 50 years developed its role and powers considerably.

Historical overview(The three places)Hemicycle of the European Parliament in StrasbourgHemicycle of the European Parliament in BrusselThe first direct elections then took place between 7 and 10 June 1979.Place of work of the General Secretariat of EP in Luxembourg

Historical overviewEnlargements of the EU increased the number of EP Members - The Treaty of Lisbon, however, provides for 751 Members Gradual increase in powers: the reform treatiesThe Single European Act (1987) - introduction of the cooperation procedure The Maastricht Treaty (1993) - introduced codecision by the EP and the Council in certain areas of legislation and extended the cooperation procedure to others The Treaty of Amsterdam (1999) - extended codecision to more areas of legislation and reformed the procedure, putting Parliament as co-legislator on an equal footing with the Council.The Treaty of Nice (2003) - extended the scope of the codecision procedure in seven provisions of the EC Treaty: measures to support antidiscrimination action of the Member States, certain measures for issuing visas, measures on asylum and on certain refugee matters, measures in the field of judicial cooperation in civil matters, support measures in the industrial field, actions in the field of economy and social cohesion and regulations governing political parties at European level and in particular the rules regarding their funding.

Historical overviewTreaty of Lisbon (2009) - has been given to the European Parliament important new powers over EU legislation, the EU budget and international agreements. In particular, the extension of codecision into virtually all areas of legislation will ensure the European Parliament (representing the citizens) is placed fully on an equal footing with the Council (representing Member States). Lawmaking: the codecision procedure, is now called the ordinary legislative procedure and it is extended to several new fields: legal immigration, penal judicial cooperation (Eurojust, crime prevention, alignment of prison standards, offences and penalties), police cooperation (Europol) and some aspects of trade policy, fisheries and agriculture.

Budget: the new treaty confirms and formalizes the established practice of working with a multiannual financial framework (MFF), which Parliament will have to approve in the future.

International agreements

Historical overviewSome important events of European Parliament (1998) The single currency andthe European ParliamentConference of Presidents favors replacing the current Commission (leaded by Jacques SANTER) before the June 1999 elections

- having regard to the first Report by the Committee of Independent Experts on the allegations of fraud, mismanagement and nepotism in the Commission,-having regard to the decision of the President and the Members of the Commission to resign from office.(1999) Committee of Independent Experts(2000) The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European UnionDignityFreedomsEqualitySolidarityCitizens' RightsJustice(2004) Enlargement Process

Parliaments functions and powersParticipation in the legislative processAlthough the Commission has the (almost exclusive) right of initiative in the EU system, the European Parliament can ask the Commission to put forward a proposal by means of an own-initiative report.Budgetary authorityThe budget is adopted for one year, following the principle of annuality (the budget year begins on 1 January and ends on 31 December). The Commission prepares a draft budget, which it submits to the Council. The budget cannot be implemented until it has been signed by the President of the European Parliament. Control over the executive The European Parliament exercises democratic control over the Commission and there is also a certain parliamentary oversight over the activities of the Council. Appeals to the European Court of JusticeImportantly, Parliament has the right to institute proceedings before the Court of Justice in cases of violation of the treaties by another institution.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)Elections and mandateThe distribution of seats among Member States is such that it is digressively proportional to the population of each Member State, meaning that MEPs from bigger states represent more citizens than those from smaller states.

The Lisbon Treaty fixes an upper limit of 751 Members and stipulates that the smallest Member State shall elect no fewer than six and the biggest no more than 96 Members.

The proportion of women in the European Parliament has risen steadily and, since the June 2009 elections, they constitute about 35% of MEPs.

Committees in the European Parliament

AFET Foreign Affairs CRIM Organized crime, corruption and money laundering (Special committee)DROI Human Rights subcommittee PETI PetitionsSEDE Security and Defense subcommittee//FEMM Womens Rights and Gender EqualityDEVE DevelopmentAFCO Constitutional AffairsINTA International TradeLIBE Civil Liberties, Justice and Home AffairsBUDG BudgetsJURI Legal AffairsCONT Budgetary ControlCULT Culture and EducationECON Economic and Monetary AffairsEMPL Employment and Social AffairsENVI Environment, Public Health and Food SafetyITRE Industry, Research and EnergyIMCO Internal Market and Consumer ProtectionTRAN Transport and TourismREGI Regional DevelopmentAGRI Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentPECH Fisheries

Relations with national parliaments regular conferences and meetings between its President and the presidents of the national parliaments; meetings and roundtables between Parliaments committees and their national counterparts; meetings between parliamentarians on topics of general interest; meetings of the Conference of European Community Affairs Committees (COSAC) which comprises a six-member European Parliament delegation (appointed by the Conference of Presidents and led by the two Vice-Presidents with responsibility for relations with national parliaments) and delegations from the European affairs committees of the national parliaments of the EU.

Optimize local and European LevelWhat should national parliaments do in order to increase the efficiency between local and European level decisions?

(write a to do list)

Political Groups The Members of the European Parliament do not sit within national groups in Parliament, but rather in political groups according to political affiliation.

A minimum number of 25 MEPs from at least one quarter of the Member States is required to form a political group.

After the 2009 elections, seven political groups were formed within the European Parliament. As in the previous term, the European Peoples Party were the biggest group with the centre-left S&D group second and the Liberals third. Two new groups were established: the European Conservatives and Reformists, and the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group.

Political Groups

EPP European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) S&D Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats ALDE Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Greens/EFA Greens/European Free Alliance ECR European Conservatives and Reformists GUE/NGL European United Left/ Nordic Green Left EFD Europe of Freedom and Democracy

MEPs by Political Groups

National apportionment of MEP seats(766 members in 2014)Germany 99 (12.9%) France 74 (9.7%) Italy 73 (9.5%) United Kingdom 73 (9.5%) Spain 54 (7.0%) Poland 51 (6.7%) Romania 33 (4.3%) Netherlands 26 (3.4%) Belgium 22 (2.9%) Czech Republic 22 (2.9%) Greece 22 (2.9%) Hungary 22 (2.9%) Portugal 22 (2.9%) Sweden 20 (2.6%) Austria 19 (2.5%) Bulgaria 18 (2.3%) Finland 13 (1.7%) Denmark 13 (1.7%) Slovakia 13 (1.7%) Croatia 12 (1.6%) Ireland 12 (1.6%) Lithuania 12 (1.6%) Latvia 9 (1.2%) Slovenia 8 (1.0%) Cyprus 6 (0.8%) Estonia 6 (0.8%) Luxembourg 6 (0.8%) Malta 6 (0.8%)

Election results by political group, 1979 to 2009. Left to right

Radical leftSocialistsGreens & RegionalistsGreensCDI or TGINon-InscritsLiberalsRadical AllianceCD / EPPForza EuropaConservativesEuroscepticsUEN

Rules of Procedure of EPThe functioning of the European Parliament is laid down in the official Rules of Procedure which determines the composition and duties of the governing bodies. Role of the PresidentThe President is elected for a term of two and a half years, i.e. half the legislature (the term is in theory renewable but this has never happened in practice). The President chairs the plenary sittings of Parliament, the Conference of the Presidents of Political Groups (seven in number) and the Bureau of Parliament (including 14 Vice-Presidents). The President ensures that Parliaments Rules of Procedure are adhered to and, through his arbitration, guarantees that all the activities of the institution and its constituent bodies run smoothly. The President is the representative of Parliament in legal affairs and in all external relations. They deliver an opinion on all major international issues and makes recommendations designed to strengthen the European Union. At the beginning of every European Council meeting (summit of the EU heads of state and government) the President of the European Parliament sets out Parliaments point of view and its concerns as regards the items on the agenda and other subjects. The President of the Parliament and the President of the Council both sign all legislative acts adopted under codecision. After the European Unions budget has been adopted by Parliament, the President signs it, rendering it operational.

Agenda

AgendaPink weeks for parliamentary committeesThe European Parliament has 20 standing committees, each specialising in a particular field such as the environment, transp

Red weeks for plenary sessionsThe plenary session is the focal point of the parliamentary month. This is when all MEPs assemble in the chamber in Strasbourg or for additional, shorter part-sessions, in Brussels. ort, industry or the budget (see above).

Blue weeks for political groupsMEPs form groups on the basis of political affiliation rather than nationality. During group weeks, which are generally the week before plenary sessions, each political group coordinates and formulates the positions it will take in the assembly on each of the subjects on the agenda.

Turquoise weeks: MEPs in their constituency or on external visits A number of weeks a year are set aside for MEPs to return to their constituency to deal with local matters and meet their electorate, or to travel on official parliamentary business to other parts of the world. During these weeks no meetings are scheduled in Brussels or Strasbourg.

Parliaments AdministrationThe EP secretariats organizational chartThe central unit of organization of the Parliament is the Directorate-General (DG). Directorates-General are divided into Directorates which are themselves divided into Units, the basic operational and organizational structures. In 2011 the EP secretariat was composed of 37 Directorates and 233 units.

Important DGs:DG for the Presidency (DG PRES)DG for Internal Policies (DG IPOL)DG for External Policies (DG EXPO)DG for Communication (DG COMM)DG for Personnel (DG PERS)DG for Infrastructure and Logistics (DG INLO)DG for Translation (DG TRAD)DG for Interpretation and Conferences (DG INTE)DG for Innovation and Technological support (DG ITEC)Legal Service (JURI)

Tell us about EP

The cross-cutting issuesMEPs as advocates of the citizens: this priority involves support to the new tool of direct citizen participation, the European Citizens Initiative; direct interactive web based communication with the Parliament; cooperation of Information Offices with national multiplier groups; enhancing the right of petition; increasing the support to constituency work.Full exercise of EP powers conferred on it by the Lisbon TreatyStrengthen the Community Method: The EP should seek to enhance the supranational decision-making as opposed to intergovernmental decision-making by deepening the partnership with the Commission and make dialogue with the CouncilRespectful relationship between executive arm and law-makersMore European democracy with more parliamentarismDefending the values enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental RightsRaise profile of the EP as the forum for democracy and informed partisan debateRegain public trust in the European integration process and restore public enthusiasm for EuropePromotion of Human Rights and Democracy worldwide

EPs staff on 1 January 2012

Posts (personnel on the 1st of January 2012) 6 395100%General Secretariat 5 79090.5% Permanent staff4 81375.2% Temporary staff97715.3%Political groups6059.5%Places of work of the General SecretariatStrasbourg98 1.5%Luxembourg2 46138.5%Brussels3 60156.3%Other2353.7%Categories of staffAdministrators2 50039.1%Assistants (AST officials)3 20850.2%Other68710.7%Categories of job in the General Secretariat6Linguistic assistance1 70726.7%Administration1 18918.6%Parliamentary assistance99715.6%Communication5759.0%Material and logistical assistance5118%Management5949.3%Finance4096.4%Data processing3385.3%Legal assistance701.1%Average age46 years

Parliaments BudgetThe budget of the EP is part of the general budget of the European Union.In global figures, the 2011 EU budget amounted to 144.57 billion

ExpenditureAmount (million)Percentage of total expenditureStaff expenditure 673.743%Investment expenditure on buildings 188.412%Members 195.412%Information technology and telecommunications109.97%Information activities and products 94.26%Political groups78.55%Other administrative expenditure62.84%Parliamentary assistance172.711%

Parliamentary CommunicationA parliament close to citizensTraditional ways of communication (in 23 official languages)A presence in all member statesA special service to welcome visitors (7.500 group visits organized by the Unit)Transparency in the EPParliaments meetings are open to the publicA more intensive use of new technologies

SWOT EPSWOT EP:decisions efficiency representativitypower influence in the institutional designeerole and competences

EP & European citizen(ship)

Steve Jobs EP European citizen

QUESTION: What is the relation between EP and European citizen ?

ANSWER: decisions, politics, quality of life, future

We should look carefully to our future..

The European Parliament: it has to do with you Things will be different this time! Its fair to say that the European Parliament elections matter more than those of national parliaments, because their outcome will affect the future of an entire continent. Indeed, more than ever the future of the Belgians and their children will be decided at the European level. Change will come from the Union, because no single Member State not even mighty Germany or nuclear powers like France or the United Kingdom can hope to go solo on the international scene or to really weigh in on big issues like the environment or energy, particularly in an increasingly interdependent world.

The European Parliament: it has to do with you It was Commissioner Viviane Reding who said: Voters can decide whether Europe should take a more social or a more market-oriented direction. Voters can decide whether the future majority in the European Parliament will favour opening Europe's borders to immigration or build a Fortress Europe; whether we are tough with the U.S. when it comes to data protection, or whether we will instead favour the economic benefits of free trade.

The European Parliament: it has to do with you European Parliament argued for the Erasmus+ budget to be increased by 40% compared to last year : over 4 million students under the age of thirty will be able to go abroad to study or receive training between 2014 and 2020; the previous figure was 2.8 million people. Such an investment in education and youth is common sense, but the programme would not have been as successful had the Council of the EU been alone to call the shots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM71zffDi90

Get inspired, become a voterhttp://www.elections2014.eu/en/top-stories/content/20140428TST45332/html/The-importance-of-votinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_V6pMdPTCo

A student, designers, an entrepreneur and a farmer These are some of the 400 million of Europeans who will choose whos in charge in Europe during the European elections taking place on 22-25 May. I think we have an opportunity to be a part of something really huge. We need to be a part of it. We have to vote, said Ricardo, a retired landscape architect from Spain.

Logo of the European Parliament election 2014

I DECIDE..

PRESIDENT OF EP MARTIN SCHULZ

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YOUNG IDEAS FOR EUROPE

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9 MAY

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2014

Thank you!

University Assistant PhD Elena Simona VrnceanuAlexandru Ioan Cuza UniversityofIasi, RomaniaFaculty of Philosophy and Social-Political Science

Muncel, Romania 5-7 May 2014