ABSTRACT
The PES was founded in 1992, succeeding the Confederation of Socialist Parties in the European Community (CSPEC), following the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and its recognition of the importance of political parties at a European level in Article 191. The PES sets out to bring together the socialist, social democratic and labour parties of the EU with the following aims:
the strengthening of the socialist and social democratic movement in the Union and throughout Europe;
the development of close working relationships between the national member parties, their parliamentary groups, the Parliamentary Group of the PES and the Party;
the definition of common policies for the European Union;
the adoption of a common manifesto for elections to the European Parliament.
(PES, 2004a)