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Glossary of summaries

Statute for Members of the European Parliament

The Statute for Members of the European Parliament lays down the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the duties of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Adopted in 2005, it entered into force in July 2009.

It made the terms and conditions of MEPs’ work more transparent and introduced a common salary for all MEPs, paid from the EU budget. It also stipulates, among other things, that:

  • MEPs must be free and independent and vote on an individual and personal basis;
  • MEPs are entitled to inspect any files held by the European Parliament (EP);
  • MEPs are entitled to table proposals for EU acts in the context of the EP’s right of initiative;
  • EP documents must be translated into all the official languages;
  • MEPs may form themselves into political groups;
  • MEPs are entitled to assistance from staff they may freely choose, and the EP meets the expenses incurred by MEPs in employing such staff.

A decision was adopted by the EP’s Bureau on 19 May and 9 July 2008 concerning implementing measures for the Statute for MEPs. These have been amended on several occasions and cover more detailed aspects, regarding:

  • entitlement to a salary, medical expenses and insurance against risks connected with the exercise of the parliamentary mandate;
  • reimbursement of expenses;
  • arrangements for managing contracts with personal staff, equipment and facilities;
  • transitional allowance at the end of the mandate, pensions, etc.

Under Article 232 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the EP has the right to regulate its own business in its rules of procedure which cover all the procedural aspects of its work.

A code of conduct for MEPs entered into force on 1 January 2012. As its guiding principles, it sets out that MEPs must act solely in the public interest and conduct their work with disinterest, integrity, openness, diligence, honesty, accountability and respect for the EP’s reputation. It defines conflicts of interest and how MEPs should address them. It also includes rules on, for example, official gifts to MEPs and the professional activities of former MEPs.

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