Transcript Model European Union - Old Dominion University

Model European Union
What is
Model
EU?
Simulation of
the EU
The European Parliament
1. EU citizens vote directly for representatives to the EP every 5 years (736)
2. The only elected body of the EU
3. Apportionment of representatives is not strictly based on population so
smaller member- states have disproportionately greater representation than
larger ones
4. The Lisbon Treaty enhanced the legislative powers of Parliament
5. MEP’s sit with political party affiliations
6. Co-decision
Apportionment
Relative influence of voters from different EU countries'2
Member
state
Population
millions
MEPs
Inhabitants
per MEP
Influence
Luxembourg
0.46
6
76,667
10.86
Malta
0.40
5
80,800
10.30
Cyprus
0.77
6
127,667
6.52
Estonia
1.34
6
224,000
3.72
Lithuania
3.40
12
283,583
2.94
Slovenia
2.00
7
286,143
2.91
Latvia
2.30
8
286,875
2.90
Ireland
4.21
12
350,750
2.37
Finland
5.26
13
404,308
2.06
Slovakia
5.39
13
414,538
2.01
Denmark
5.43
13
417,538
1.99
Bulgaria
7.72
17
454,059
1.83
Hungary
10.08
22
458,045
1.82
Czech Republic
10.25
22
465,955
1.79
Belgium
10.51
22
477,773
1.74
Portugal
10.57
22
480,455
1.73
Austria
8.27
17
486,235
1.71
Sweden
9.05
18
502,667
1.66
Greece
11.13
22
505,682
1.65
Netherlands
16.33
25
653,360
1.27
Romania
21.61
33
654,848
1.27
EU Total
492.87
736
669,662
1.24
Poland
38.16
50
763,140
1.09
Italy
58.75
72
816,000
1.02
Germany
82.43
99
832,606
1.00
United Kingdom
60.42
72
839,194
0.99
Spain
43.76
50
875,160
0.95
France
62.89
72
873,417
0.95
Distribution of Power
• MEP’s are grouped together on the basis of
political affiliation rather than nationality.
• A minimum number of MEP’s from at least
one quarter of the Member States is required
to form a political group.
• MEP’s who do not belong to any group are
automatically grouped together as ‘nonattached’ Members.
Distribution of Power
Group of the European People’s Party
(Christian Democrats)
The Group of the Progressive Alliance of
Socialists and Democrats in the European
Parliament
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for
Europe
European Conservatives and Reformists
The Greens/European Free Alliance
European United Left/Nordic Green left
Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group
A Few Policy areas:
• Environment
• Transportation
• Consumer Protection and
the Free Movement of
Goods and Workers
• Agriculture
• Fisheries
• Justice and Home Affairs
Initiatives
• Tourism, Youth and Sport.
Plenary Sessions
• All the MEPs assemble either in the
chamber in Strasbourg or, for
additional, shorter sessions, in
Brussels.
• The reports adopted in committee
are once again debated, amended
and adopted to reflect Parliament’s
official position.