The work of MEPs
European citizens elect MEPs to represent them. They are EU lawmakers and call the Commission and Member States to account. MEPs play a key role on major issues of our time like climate change, migration, human rights and the way in which we regulate financial markets.
The daily workload of an MEP divides itself between work for constituents, debates in political groups, as well as negotiations and votes in committees and during plenary sessions.
Working in committees
There are several at the Ϸվ covering a wide range of policy areas. They scrutinise legislative proposals by amending and adopting reports. The committees also appoints a team of MEPs to conduct negotiations with the Council on EU legislation. In addition, they adopt own-initiative resolutions, organise hearings with experts and scrutinise the other EU bodies and institutions.
A committee consists of between 25 and 90 full members and an equivalent number of substitutes.
Each committee elects a chair and up to four vice-chairs from its full members, making up the ‘Committee Bureau’, for a two and a half year mandate.
The Ϸվ can also set up sub-committees and special temporary committees to deal with specific issues, and may create committees of inquiry to investigate alleged contraventions or maladministration of EU law. The parliamentary committees normally meet in Brussels. Their debates are public and, in principle, available online in all official EU languages.