European Parliament

The European Parliament is the directly elected legislative body of the European Union, with members chosen by voters across EU member states in elections held every five years. It sits in Strasbourg and Brussels, with administrative offices in Luxembourg, and organizes its work through political groups and specialized committees. The Parliament shares legislative and budgetary authority with the Council of the European Union, jointly adopting much of EU law under the ordinary legislative procedure. It also exercises democratic oversight of other EU institutions, including a role in approving the European Commission and scrutinizing its work. While it cannot itself initiate most legislation, it amends, approves, or rejects proposals and holds significant influence over EU policy and spending.