Competences of the European Parliament
The European Parliament represents almost 450 million Europeans and is the only EU body directly elected by its citizens. This makes elections to the European Parliament the only opportunity we have to directly influence European policy and issues that affect our daily lives.
The European Parliament stands up for freedom, equality and the rule of law in the EU, and has the power to:
- Adopt new laws, together with the Council.
- Amend laws to improve them.
- Decide on the EU budget.
- Check the work of the EU institutions.
Election calendar
The European elections will take place from 6 to 9 June in all 27 EU countries. EU citizens can vote in their home country, in the EU country where they live or from abroad. Each EU country decides which day or days its citizens can vote and the deadline for those living abroad to register to vote. The Netherlands starts elections on 6 June, followed by the Czech Republic, Malta, Austria and Croatia on 8 June. Spain, along with most EU countries, will hold elections on 9 June.
Voting
For more information on how and when to vote in each of the member states, please go to elections.europa.eu under the section ‘How to vote’ in the 2024 European elections where you can select each country to see the dates and conditions for voting.
Political parties
During elections, EU citizens can vote for members of national political parties to represent them in the European Parliament. Once the elections are held, 720 MEPs will be appointed to form part of a political group made up of members from all EU countries who share the same beliefs. In the case of Spain, 61 MEPs will be elected this year, two more than in the 2019 elections.
Current political groups in the European Parliament:
- Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
- Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
- Renew Europe Group
- Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
- European Conservatives and Reformists Group
- Identity and Democracy Group
- The Left group in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL
After the elections
The new MEPs will work to form political groups. In its first plenary session, when all MEPs will meet, the newly-appointed Parliament will elect its new President. In a subsequent session, they will elect the new President of the European Commission and, later, they will examine and approve the entire College of Commissioners who will lead the European Commission for the next five years.
Why are these elections important for ECC-Net?
The European Parliament elections are important for the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) because we elect MEPs who, together with representatives of the governments of the Member States, will decide on policies that influence all aspects of life in the EU, including consumer rights and protection. The elections will also elect the people who will defend the values of the European Union: respect for human rights, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law. Parliament also approves the EU budget and controls how the money is spent. It also elects the president of the European Commission, appoints its commissioners (as a College) and holds them to account.
Further information
More information on the elections can be found on the European Parliament's dedicated website: European Elections 2024/How to vote (elections.europa.eu). This website also includes basic and easy-to-read information about the elections.
More information: