ISSUES ON THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FUNCTIONS
ISSUES ON THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FUNCTIONS

Summary/Abstract: The European Parliament is probably the most familiar and renowned European institution for the people seeking similarities between the national state institutions and the political-administrative system of the European Union. Founded in 1951, with the name of Common Assembly, the Parliament emerged at about the same time with the Communities and, subsequently, with the emergence and development of the European Union. As any national legislator, the European Parliament is elected, regularly, by suffrage in all Member States, thus being a singular and atypical voice of the European Union peoples’ will. Given the development of the Union as a whole, has suffered spectacular transformations and evolutions, the European Parliament, too, has developed its position in the European institutional framework. Starting from marginal duties in 1951, the Parliament has actively involved in the following priority directions:1. Stabilizing in the institutional structure (mainly by defining the internal organization by establishing the mechanism of choice for its members and through its relations with the other European institutions);2. Expanding its duties, especially in legislative matters (starting from the consultation procedure and up to the duty of co-legislator with the Council);3. Strengthening the relations of cooperation with the national parliamentary institutions and the of participation in the international inter-parliamentary dialogues;4. Strengthening the mechanisms for control over other European institutions and strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the Union, under the mandate of representation given by European citizens.This paper will deal with only to the tasks the European Parliament has and, of course, the evolutions arising from the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

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