Directly elected by EU voters every 5 years, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent the people Europe. Parliament is one of the EU's main law-making institutions, along with the Council of the European Union ('the Council').

The European Parliament has three main roles: debating and passing European laws, with the Council; scrutinising other EU institutions, particularly the Commission, to make sure they are working democratically and debating and adopting the EU's budget, with the Council.