Executive Summary:
European Council Decision (EU) 2018/937 establishes the composition of the European Parliament, adhering to Article 14(2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). It outlines principles for seat allocation, including degressive proportionality and reflection of demographic changes. The decision sets the number of representatives per Member State for the 2019-2024 parliamentary term, with a contingency for the UK's potential continued membership and mandates the European Parliament to propose an updated seat allocation before the 2024-2029 term.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Principles of Seat Allocation:**
* Allocation fully utilizes minimum and maximum thresholds per Member State.
* Degressive proportionality is defined to ensure representation aligns with population sizes.
* Allocation reflects demographic developments in Member States.
* **Population Calculation:**
* The Commission (Eurostat) calculates the total population of Member States based on the most recent data provided by them.
* Calculation follows the method established by Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013.
* **Seat Allocation for 2019-2024 Term:**
* Specifies the number of representatives for each Member State for the 2019-2024 parliamentary term.
* **Contingency for the United Kingdom:**
* If the UK remains a Member State at the start of the 2019-2024 term, the seat allocation will be as per European Council Decision 2013/312/EU until the UK's withdrawal is legally effective.
* Upon the UK's withdrawal, the seat allocation will revert to the numbers specified in Article 3(1) of this decision.
* **Future Seat Allocation:**
* The European Parliament must submit a proposal to the European Council for an updated seat allocation before the 2024-2029 parliamentary term, in accordance with Article 14(2) TEU.
Impact Analysis:
European Parliament:
* Impact: The European Parliament's composition is defined for the 2019-2024 term, and it is tasked with proposing an updated seat allocation for the 2024-2029 term.
* Action Required: Prepare and submit a proposal for updated seat allocation before the 2024-2029 parliamentary term.
Member States:
* Impact: The number of representatives each Member State will have in the European Parliament is determined, impacting their representation in the EU.
* Action Required: Acknowledge and prepare for the representation numbers allocated for the 2019-2024 term.
Commission (Eurostat):
* Impact: Responsible for calculating and providing population data used for seat allocation.
* Action Required: Continue to provide updated population data according to Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013.
European Council:
* Impact: Receives the proposal from the European Parliament for an updated seat allocation for the 2024-2029 term and makes the final decision.
* Action Required: Review and approve the proposal for updated seat allocation submitted by the European Parliament before the 2024-2029 parliamentary term.
Key Entities Referenced
European Council: An institution of the European Union, consisting of the heads of state or government of the member states, along with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.
European Parliament: The parliamentary body of the European Union that directly represents the Union's citizens.
Treaty on European Union: One of the primary treaties upon which the European Union is founded.
Regulation EU No 1260/2013: A regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council regarding European demographic statistics.
European Council Decision 2013/312/EU: A decision of the European Council establishing the composition of the European Parliament.
Commission Eurostat: The statistical office of the European Union responsible for providing high-quality statistics on Europe.
United Kingdom: A former Member State of the European Union.
Brussels: The location where the European Council Decision was signed.
2.7.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 165 I/1
II
(Non-legislative acts)
DECISIONS
EUROPEAN COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2018/937
of 28 June 2018
establishing the composition of the European Parliament
THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 14(2) thereof,
Having regard to the initiative of the European Parliament (1),
Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament (2),
Whereas:
(1) The first subparagraph of Article 14(2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) lays down the criteria for the
composition of the European Parliament, namely that representatives of the Union's citizens are not to exceed
seven hundred and fifty in number, plus the President, that representation is to be degressively proportional, with
a minimum threshold of six members per Member State, and that no Member State is to be allocated more than
ninety-six seats.
(2) Article 10 TEU provides, inter alia, that the functioning of the Union is to be founded on representative
democracy, with citizens being directly represented at Union level in the European Parliament and Member States
being represented by their governments, themselves being democratically accountable to their national
Parliaments or citizens, in the Council.
(3) Article 14(2) TEU therefore applies within the context of the wider institutional arrangements set out in the
Treaties, which also include the provisions on decision making in the Council,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
In the application of Article 14(2) TEU, the following principles shall be respected:
— the allocation of seats in the European Parliament is to fully utilise the minimum and maximum thresholds per
Member State set by the TEU in order to reflect as closely as possible the sizes of the respective populations of the
Member States,
— degressive proportionality is to be defined as follows: the ratio between the population and the number of seats of
each Member State before rounding to whole numbers is to vary in relation to their respective populations in such
a way that each Member of the European Parliament from a more populous Member State represents more citizens
than each Member of the European Parliament from a less populous Member State and, conversely, that the larger
the population of a Member State, the greater its entitlement to a large number of seats in the European Parliament,
— the allocation of seats in the European Parliament is to reflect demographic developments in the Member States.
(1) Initiative adopted on 7 February 2018 (not yet published in the Official Journal).
(2) Consent of 13 June 2018 (not yet published in the Official Journal).L 165 I/2 EN Official Journal of the European Union 2.7.2018
Article 2
The total population of the Member States is calculated by the Commission (Eurostat) on the basis of the most recent
data provided by the Member States, in accordance with a method established by means of Regulation (EU)
No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).
Article 3
1. The number of representatives in the European Parliament elected in each Member State is hereby set as follows
for the 2019-2024 parliamentary term:
Belgium 21
Bulgaria 17
Czech Republic 21
Denmark 14
Germany 96
Estonia 7
Ireland 13
Greece 21
Spain 59
France 79
Croatia 12
Italy 76
Cyprus 6
Latvia 8
Lithuania 11
Luxembourg 6
Hungary 21
Malta 6
Netherlands 29
Austria 19
Poland 52
Portugal 21
Romania 33
Slovenia 8
Slovakia 14
Finland 14
Sweden 21
2. However, in the event that the United Kingdom is still a Member State of the Union at the beginning of the
2019-2024 parliamentary term, the number of representatives in the European Parliament per Member State taking up
office shall be the one provided for in Article 3 of the European Council Decision 2013/312/EU (2) until the withdrawal
of the United Kingdom from the Union becomes legally effective.
Once the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union becomes legally effective, the number of representatives in the
European Parliament elected in each Member State shall be the one provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article.
All representatives in the European Parliament who fill the additional seats resulting from the difference between the
number of seats allocated in the first and second subparagraphs shall take up their seats in the European Parliament at
the same time.
(1) Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on European demographic
statistics (OJ L 330, 10.12.2013, p. 39).
(2) European Council Decision 2013/312/EU of 28 June 2013 establishing the composition of the European Parliament (OJ L 181,
29.6.2013, p. 57).2.7.2018 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 165 I/3
Article 4
Sufficiently far in advance of the beginning of the 2024-2029 parliamentary term, the European Parliament shall submit
to the European Council, in accordance with Article 14(2) TEU, a proposal for an updated allocation of seats in the
European Parliament.
Article 5
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.
Done at Brussels, 28 June 2018.
For the European Council
The President
D. TUSK