Apportionment in the European Parliament
Encyclopedia
Apportionment in the European Parliament relates to the distribution of legislative seats in the European Parliament
among the states of the European Union
. The Parliament's apportionment
is not proportional to the population of the states; rather, the seats are distributed by an ad hoc scheme fulfilling "degressive proportionality".
" the smaller states (Belgium
, Luxembourg
and the Netherlands
) were concerned about being underrepresented and hence they were granted more seats than their population would have allowed. Membership increased to 142 with the Assembly expanded to cover the Economic and
Atomic Energy Communities.
It then grew further with each enlargement
. Membership reached 626 in 1995 with the Treaty of Amsterdam setting a limit of 700. The Treaty of Nice
moved this up to 732 and set out the future distribution for up to 27 states. In 2007 Romania and Bulgaria joined with 35 and 18 members respectively temporarily pushing the number of members over the ceiling to 785. In 2009 the number of members decreased to 736.
, currently the Treaty of Nice, and is adjusted by the accession treaty of each new member. This last occurred with the enlargement in 2007. No change to the seats occurs without ratification by all states. According to the treaty of Nice, the maximum number of members in the Parliament is 736. However this number may be exceeded temporarily when enlargements take place during a Parliamentary term. E.g. when Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007, the number of seats temporarily increased to 785, but dropped back down to 736 at the 2009 election
.
736 seats for about 500 million EU citizens means that there is on average 670,000 citizens represented per MEP. But the number of seats for each country is not proportional to its share of population. Rather, the seats are distributed by an ad hoc scheme (see table below) which roughly follows degressive proportionality, i.e. the greater the population a state has, the more people per member
are represented.
Some states divide their allocated MEPs into sub-national constituencies.
However they may not be divided in such a way that the system would no longer be proportional.
However, due to the delay in ratifying Lisbon Treaty, the 2009 elections were held under the rules of the Nice Treaty. In order to address the appointment of extra members to Parliament to serve until 2014, a protocol was drawn up on 23 June 2010 and is, as of January 2011, being ratified by member states (the protocol, like a full treaty, needs ratification by all members as it is a treaty amendment). The protocol brings the total number of seats allocated to each country up to those stated in Lisbon and allows for them to be appointed. However, Germany (which would have lost 3 seats under the Lisbon treaty) will keep its extra members until the next election. As of September 2011, only two countries have yet to ratify the protocol.
There was controversy over the fact that the population figures are based on residents, not citizens, resulting in countries with larger disenfranchised immigrant populations gaining more under Lisbon than those with smaller ones. Italy would have been the greatest loser under the Lisbon system and sought the same number of MEPs as France and the United Kingdom. Italy raised the issue during treaty negotiations
and succeeded in gaining one extra MEP (giving it the same as the UK) while the President of the European Parliament
would not be counted as a lawmaker hence keeping the number of MEPs under the 750 seat limit. MEPs also intend amendments well in advance of the 2014 elections to take account of demographic changes. It is hoped that this may avoid the political horse trading that occurs when the numbers have to be revised.
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
among the states of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. The Parliament's apportionment
Apportionment (politics)
Apportionment is the process of allocating political power among a set of principles . In most representative governments, political power has most recently been apportioned among constituencies based on population, but there is a long history of different approaches.The United States Constitution,...
is not proportional to the population of the states; rather, the seats are distributed by an ad hoc scheme fulfilling "degressive proportionality".
Background
When the Parliament was established in the 1950s as the 78 member "Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel CommunityEuropean Coal and Steel Community
The European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and create the foundation for the modern-day developments of the European Union...
" the smaller states (Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) were concerned about being underrepresented and hence they were granted more seats than their population would have allowed. Membership increased to 142 with the Assembly expanded to cover the Economic and
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
Atomic Energy Communities.
It then grew further with each enlargement
Enlargement of the European Union
The Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union through the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952...
. Membership reached 626 in 1995 with the Treaty of Amsterdam setting a limit of 700. The Treaty of Nice
Treaty of Nice
The Treaty of Nice was signed by European leaders on 26 February 2001 and came into force on 1 February 2003. It amended the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of Rome...
moved this up to 732 and set out the future distribution for up to 27 states. In 2007 Romania and Bulgaria joined with 35 and 18 members respectively temporarily pushing the number of members over the ceiling to 785. In 2009 the number of members decreased to 736.
Nice system
At present, the exact number of seats allocated to each country is determined by the treatiesTreaties of the European Union
The Treaties of the European Union are a set of international treaties between the European Union member states which sets out the EU's constitutional basis. They establish the various EU institutions together with their remit, procedures and objectives...
, currently the Treaty of Nice, and is adjusted by the accession treaty of each new member. This last occurred with the enlargement in 2007. No change to the seats occurs without ratification by all states. According to the treaty of Nice, the maximum number of members in the Parliament is 736. However this number may be exceeded temporarily when enlargements take place during a Parliamentary term. E.g. when Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007, the number of seats temporarily increased to 785, but dropped back down to 736 at the 2009 election
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
.
736 seats for about 500 million EU citizens means that there is on average 670,000 citizens represented per MEP. But the number of seats for each country is not proportional to its share of population. Rather, the seats are distributed by an ad hoc scheme (see table below) which roughly follows degressive proportionality, i.e. the greater the population a state has, the more people per member
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
are represented.
Some states divide their allocated MEPs into sub-national constituencies.
However they may not be divided in such a way that the system would no longer be proportional.
Lisbon system
Under the Lisbon Treaty, the cap on the number of seats was raised to 750, with a maximum of 96 and a minimum of 6 seats per state. They continue to be distributed according to "degressive proportionality" (the larger the state, the more citizens that are represented per MEP, so that smaller states are overrepresented in terms of their population). Germany lost three seats, while Spain gained four. France, Sweden and Austria will gained two seats each and eight further countries all gained one seat:However, due to the delay in ratifying Lisbon Treaty, the 2009 elections were held under the rules of the Nice Treaty. In order to address the appointment of extra members to Parliament to serve until 2014, a protocol was drawn up on 23 June 2010 and is, as of January 2011, being ratified by member states (the protocol, like a full treaty, needs ratification by all members as it is a treaty amendment). The protocol brings the total number of seats allocated to each country up to those stated in Lisbon and allows for them to be appointed. However, Germany (which would have lost 3 seats under the Lisbon treaty) will keep its extra members until the next election. As of September 2011, only two countries have yet to ratify the protocol.
There was controversy over the fact that the population figures are based on residents, not citizens, resulting in countries with larger disenfranchised immigrant populations gaining more under Lisbon than those with smaller ones. Italy would have been the greatest loser under the Lisbon system and sought the same number of MEPs as France and the United Kingdom. Italy raised the issue during treaty negotiations
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
and succeeded in gaining one extra MEP (giving it the same as the UK) while the President of the European Parliament
President of the European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve...
would not be counted as a lawmaker hence keeping the number of MEPs under the 750 seat limit. MEPs also intend amendments well in advance of the 2014 elections to take account of demographic changes. It is hoped that this may avoid the political horse trading that occurs when the numbers have to be revised.