The European Parliament is the EU's law-making body.
Its president is directly elected by EU voters every two years and a half. The last elections were in May 2014. The actual president of the European Parliament is Antonio Tajani.
Antonio Tajani
“We want to achieve results with regard to the digital single market. We must modernise our trade policy in order to protect our strategic industries. We must enhance the Union’s social dimension.”
The European Parliament is conformed by 751 MEPs (members of the European Parliament). It was established in 1952 as Common Assambley of the European
Coal and Steel Community, in 1962 was named as European Parliament and its first directed elections where in 1979.
Nowadays it has three headquarters in Strasbourg (France), Brussels (Belgium) and Luxembourg.
The twelve plenary session of the year – one per month except in August (none) and September (two) – take place in Strasbourg. The parliamentary committee meetings, to be close to the Council, take place in Brussels as do the six additional plenary sessions that take place every year. In addition, Luxembourg hosts the Secretariat General (administration and translation/interpreting services).
The Parliament also has a permanent representation in each Member State.