Bureau of the European Parliament (BEP)

The European Parliament (hereafter EP) is one of the three institutions of the European Union (hereafter EU), together with the Council and the European Commission. It is an important forum for political debate and decision-making at the EU level. The members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected every five years in European elections held simultaneously in all Member States (hereafter MS). At present, the EP is comprised of forty-five (45) delegations, twenty-seven (27) standing committees, and 705 MEPs representing the 27 Member States. It is noted that following the withdrawal of U.K. from the EU, the number of seats in the EP was redistributed, so that it now has 705 seats instead of 751 (which is the maximum number of seats allowed under the European Treaties).

Over the years and with the corresponding amendments to the European Treaties, the EP has acquired substantial legislative and budgetary powers, which allow it, together with the European Council, to formulate EU policy.

The C3 Directorate for European Parliament of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for:

- following the EP Plenary Sessions,
- following issues of particular Greek interest in the EP Parliamentary Committees (Political, Institutional, External Economic Relations),
-following specific Committees, ad hoc Committees and inter-party groups, such as the work of parliamentary delegations, inter-party groups on minority languages and Mediterranean policy,
- following oral and written questions from MEPs to:

(a) the Council of Ministers of the European Union,
(b) the Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
(c) the Commission of the European Union
- informing Greek MEPs by supporting their work, orally or in writing, or in cooperation with the competent Directorates of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the relevant Ministries, agencies and bodies, on national matters or issues of particular Greek interest, which are discussed in the EP’s Committees and Plenary,
- following institutional issues within the EP, such as relations with national parliaments,
- following the work of the Economic and Social Committee (ESC) of the European Union