US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS1090

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT:  EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS: BACKGROUND 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. The first European Parliament (EP) elections in a newly 
enlarged EU will be held June 10-13.  The EP has important 
budgetary powers, and decision-making powers on 
transportation, environment, data privacy and development 
aid, all significant issues in U.S.-EU relations. 
Candidates run as national party members but function in the 
EP as part of European party groups.  The number of 
representatives (MEPs) for each country is roughly 
proportional to population.  We expect low voter turnout and 
emphasis on member-state domestic issues to be key features 
of the elections.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SERIES OF PRE-ELECTION REPORTS 
------------------------------ 
 
2. This is the first in a series of reports on the European 
elections.  The second message will provide general 
background on the European elections campaign.  Subsequent 
telegrams will go into more detail on the role of U.S.-EU 
relations in the elections, the reelection prospects of key 
MEPs, possible realignment of party groups, and the expected 
influence of MEPs from the countries set to join the EU on 
May 1. 
 
THE EP ROLE IN THE EU: BACKGROUND 
--------------------------------- 
 
3.  The European Parliament (EP) was created in 1962 when 
the European Coal and Steel Community Assembly decided to 
describe itself as the "European Parliament."  It became one 
of the three main EU institutions, with the appointed 
European Commission as an executive arm representing 
"Community interests" and the Council of Ministers 
representing member-state governments.  In 1976, the member 
states adopted an act providing for direct elections of MEPs 
to five-year terms, making the EP the only directly elected 
EU institution.  The first elections were held in 1979.  As 
its powers have developed over time, the EP has become 
arguably the only directly elected supra-national assembly 
in the world with effective decision-making power. 
 
EP: WHAT IT CAN DO 
------------------ 
 
4. The EP does not fulfill all of the functions of 
traditional national parliaments.  It cannot raise revenues 
for the EU (member-state governments do that) or initiate 
legislation (the European Commission has the sole right of 
initiative on EU-level legislation).  Nonetheless, the EP 
has steadily gained powers under the successive European 
treaties, and this trend is expected to continue if an EU 
constitutional treaty is approved.  The EP's powers consist 
principally of: (1) budgetary powers - The EP can amend and 
must give final approval to the EU budget except for 
agricultural expenditures; (2) "co-decision" power, shared 
equally between the EP and the member states, to amend or 
reject Commission-initiated legislation in many areas -- 
including areas that can affect U.S. interests such as 
transportation, data protection, environment and development 
aid; and (3) oversight and monitoring of the other EU 
institutions.  The European Parliament also has the final 
say on the accession of new member states, and can vote to 
approve or reject, collectively, the European Commissioners 
appointed by the member states. 
 
AFTER ENLARGEMENT 
----------------- 
 
5.  The number of MEPs has risen with each enlargement to 
today's 626 seats.  Seat allocation is determined according 
to population, but with a minimal threshold for smaller 
countries and considerably more voters per MEP in the larger 
countries than in the other member states.  In June, the 
first elections in an EU of 25 member states, about 340 
million voters will be called on to elect the largest EP 
ever - a total of 732 MEPs.  The number of languages for 
interpretation and translation will increase from 11 to 21 
languages (410 possible combinations of languages for 
interpretation).  The number of MEPs per country will be: 
 
-- Germany - 99 
-- France, Italy, UK - 78 
-- Spain, Poland - 54 
-- Netherlands- 27 
-- Belgium, Czech Rep., Greece, Hungary, Portugal - 24 
-- Sweden - 19 
-- Austria - 18 
-- Denmark, Finland, Slovakia - 14 
-- Ireland, Lithuania - 13 
-- Latvia - 9 
-- Slovenia - 7 
-- Luxembourg, Estonia, Cyprus - 6 
-- Malta - 5 
 
POLITICAL GROUPS IN THE EP 
--------------------------- 
 
6.  MEPs are elected in their countries on national party 
lists, with each country's seats allocated on a proportional 
basis.  MEP's then unite in transnational political party 
groupings in the EP.  The Socialists/Social Democrats (PES) 
and the Christian Democrats/Conservatives (EPP-ED) have 
always been the two largest groups, with a constantly 
changing pattern of smaller groups.  The EPP-ED came out of 
the 1999 elections as the largest group, with 233 EPP-ED 
seats to 179 for the PES.  The Liberal group (ELDR-now 53 
seats), the Greens (now 45 seats) and the far-Left (GUE- 
NGL-now 44 seats) all significantly increased in numbers. 
 
LOW INTEREST IN EP ELECTIONS 
---------------------------- 
 
7.  Preliminary indications are that voters' lack of 
understanding of the EP will again result in a decline in 
voter participation.  So far, turnout has steadily dwindled 
in each successive election -- from 63 percent in 1979 to an 
all-time low of 49 percent in 1999.  According to a 
Eurobarometer poll published in February, fewer than 30 
percent of respondents in 11 member states (Estonia, 
Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, 
Ireland, Spain, Austria, Portugal and the UK) said they 
would "definitely vote" in June.  Estonia came in last with 
only 14 percent.  Only in Denmark, Sweden and Greece did 
more than 50 percent say they would definitely vote. 
Another factor contributing to low voter turnout is that 
many voters do not see the relevance of the EP for their 
daily lives.  Although EU-wide issues such as Turkey's EU 
accession and U.S.-EU relations will play a role in the 
campaign (septels), polls indicate the EP elections will 
focus mainly on issues voters associate not with the EU, but 
with the performance of their national governments, such as 
employment, crime, and immigration. 
 
FOSTER