Apportionment in the European Parliament

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 are not strictly in accordance with the population of the states, rather they are distributed according to "degressive proportionality".

Background

When the Parliament was established in the 1950s as the 78 member "Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community" 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.cite web|title = Composition of the European Parliament|publisher=European NAvigator|url=http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=3999 |accessdate = 2007-06-12]

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 temporally pushing the number of members over the ceiling to 785.

Nice system

At present, the exact number of seats allocated to each country is determined by the treaties, currently the Treaty of Nice, and is adjusted by the accession treaty of each new member. This last occurred with the enlargement in 2007. Hence no change to the seats occurs without ratification by all states. According to the treaties, the maximum number of members in the Parliament is 732. However they are not distributed to take into account enlargements expected to take place during the Parliamentary term. Hence when Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007 the number of seats temporarily increased to 785, but would drop back down to 736 at the 2009 election.

736 seats between the, as of 2007, twenty-seven states means that there is on average 671,000 citizens represented per MEP. However the seats are distributed according to degressive proportionality, meaning that the greater the population a state has, the more people per member are represented. Further more some states divide their allocated MEPs into sub-national constituencies

However they may not be divided in such away that the system would no longer be proportional, hence the Parliament's constituencies may have no less than 3 seats allocated to them. [cite web|title = Proposals by the Electoral Commission to reduce Scottish representation in Europe|date=2007-10-02|publisher=Scottish Conservatives|url=http://www.scottishtorymeps.org.uk/ReturnBulletin.asp?ID=23 |accessdate = 2007-10-11]

Lisbon system

The seat distribution would be amended before the 2009 election via the Lisbon Treaty. The cap on the number of seats would be raised to 750 with a maximum of 96 and a minimum of 6. They would be distributed according to "degressive proportionality" (the larger the state, the more citizens that are represented per MEP). [cite web|title = Distribution of EP seats: Constitutional Affairs Committee approvals proposal|date=2007-10-02|publisher=Europa (web portal)|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/001-11037-274-10-40-901-20071001IPR11035-01-10-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm |accessdate = 2007-10-07] Under the proposals, Germany would lose three seats, while Spain would gain four. France, Sweden and Austria would gain two and the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Latvia, Slovenia, and Malta would all gain one.cite web|title = Composition of the European Parliament after European elections in June 2009|date=2007-10-11|publisher=Europa (web portal)|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/008-11449-283-10-41-901-20071008IPR11353-10-10-2007-2007-false/default_en.htm |accessdate = 2007-10-11] Changes under Nice and Lisbon;

However there has been controversy over the fact the population figures are drawn from residents, rather than citizens, hence countries with larger immigrant populations who cannot vote, such as the UK, benefit more than those with fewer non-voting residents, such as Italy. [cite web|last=Goldirova|first=Renata|title = Italy seeks to delay MEP seats decision|date=2007-10-12|publisher=EU Observer|url=http://euobserver.com/9/24947 |accessdate = 2007-10-12] Italy would have been the greatest loser from the 2007 distribution to the Lisbon system and sought to have the same number of France and the United Kingdom. Italy brought the issue up at talks on the treaty 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. [cite web|last=Goldirova|first=Renata|title =EU agrees new 'Lisbon Treaty'|date=2007-10-19|publisher=EU Observer|url=http://euobserver.com/9/25001|accessdate = 2007-10-19] MEPs also intend to see amendment for the 2014-2019 term well in advance of those 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.

Growth in membership

References

ee also

* United States Congressional apportionment
* Leveling seat