The European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
The European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
The Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament are the internal regulations that govern how Parliament operates. They are revised from time to time to improve the efficiency, transparency, and impact of Parliament’s work.
The right of the European Parliament to decide on the way it functions is enshrined in Article 232 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Different sections in the rules set out, among many other issues:
- the responsibilities of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)
- how Parliament votes (including how it elects its President and Vice-Presidents)
- how Parliament conducts meetings in committees or in plenary
- how legislative acts are approved and budgetary oversight is conducted
- how MEPs can set up inquiry or special committees to look into issues of public concern
- how MEPs decide whether to approve the European Commission
- how Parliament holds other EU institutions democratically accountable.
Any MEP can make a proposal for an update. The constitutional affairs committee oversees amendments and decides which proposals should be put forward for consideration in plenary.
For changes to take effect, a majority of all MEPs must approve the proposal.