ABSTRACT
The European Parliament has come a long way. Its initial mission was to bring a measure of democratic control and accountability to the other institutions of the European Community(EC). Much more significant than anything previous were the first direct elections to the parliament in June 1979 when 410 members of an enlarged parliament were elected, during a 4-day period, from 9 member states. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were previously paid the same salary as Members of MPs in their home countries which meant they varied widely. MEPs do not sit in national delegations, nor as representatives of national parties, but in cross-national political groups. The European Parliament has supervisory powers over the commission and the council, the right to participate in the EU legislative process along with the Council of Ministers, and budgetary powers. Under the original Rome treaty, the Council of Ministers adopted EEC legislative acts in all key policy areas.
