Parliament confirms the list and size of its committees and delegations | News | European Parliament

Following a plenary vote on the proposal by Parliament’s Conference of Presidents by a show of hands, the number of members in each of Parliament’s committees and subcommittees for the first half of the 10th legislative term is shown below.

Information on the number and size of Parliament’s interparliamentary delegations for the same time period will be available soon here. The relevant proposal was also adopted by a show of hands.

Rules on the composition of committees and interparliamentary delegations

According to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, the composition of its committees (including subcommittees) should as far as possible reflect the composition of Parliament as a whole – see Rules 216 and 218.

Rule 229 states that the composition of the delegations also must ensure as far as possible that member states, political views, and gender are fairly represented, while no delegation may have more than one third of its MEPs coming from the same country.

The political groups and non-attached Members decide internally who is appointed to each committee and subcommittee, as well as to the delegations.

Next steps

The names of the MEPs to be appointed to each committee will be announced on Friday. The composition of the delegations will be confirmed during the 16-19 September plenary session in Strasbourg. It will then be up to the committees and delegations to elect their respective Chairs and Vice-Chairs during their constitutive meetings. Parliament’s committees are set to meet on 23 July 2024.

Background

Each committee’s responsibilities are set out in Annex VI of the Rules of Procedure. During the previous legislative period, Parliament approved structural reforms for a more modern and efficient Parliament, changing the way committees and delegations handle their respective duties.

Committees meet in public (unless the rules dictate otherwise). Their work revolves around drawing up, amending, and voting on legislative proposals and own-initiative reports, as well as holding debates with Council and Commission representatives, hearings with external experts, and organising fact-finding missions. They will play a crucial role in the upcoming hearings of Commissioners-designate. Parliament can set up sub-committees and special temporary committees to deal with specific issues, and may also create committees of inquiry to investigate allegations of maladministration of EU law. The Conference of Committee Chairs coordinates their work.

Delegations are tasked with maintaining and developing Parliament’s international contacts, and contributing to enhancing the role and visibility of the EU in the world. They work with parliaments of states that are EU partners while also helping to promote the values enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in third countries.