EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CELEBRATES 50TH BIRTHDAY

12.12.00pm GMT Sun 16th Mar 2008

The European Parliament celebrated its 50th birthday on the 12th March. In 1958 it was known as the European Assembly and consisted of 142 members who could only be consulted. It now has 785 MEPs with substantial legislative powers and the number of official languages has increased from four to twenty-three. The European Parliament has the right to dismiss the Commission and approves the EU's budget. It also has a co-say with the Council in a number of policy areas and is the world's only directly elected multinational legislature.

Graham Watson MEP, leader of ALDE, says,"The European Parliament directly connects Europe's citizens with the decision making process. The Parliament's role is widened further under the Treaty of Lisbon. Already, however, Parliament is working for Europe's citizens legislating on important issues as diverse as the outlawing of animal testing on cosmetics products to ensuring lower mobile phone roaming charges."

One of the main problems facing the Parliament is voter apathy. 2009's EP elections need to be given a higher profile in most member states and need to be conducted on European not national issues, within the framework of intelligent debate.

(Thanks to EUObserver and PICS).