The European parliament is the elected body of the European Union. The 754 members are elected by the 500 million citizens of the 27 countries of the EU. It meets primarily in Brussels and in Strasbourg

The European Parliament is not organised like national parliaments, with a government party or parties confronting opposition parties. Nor is it like an international organisation where delegates sit on national lines. Instead its members sit in trans-national Political Groups and its leadership alternates between the bigger groups. In some areas its decision-making is broadly consensual, in others there are sharp differences of opinion (left-right, pro or anti European, national or sectoral), but these vary from issue to issue, and there are no permanent coalitions.

The EP is led by a President, who is elected for a two and a half year term of office. There are also 14 Vice-Presidents, who chair the Plenary Session when the President is not there, and who also take on other specific tasks. The key leadership bodies within the EP are its Conference of Presidents (the EP President and the leaders of the Political Groups) and its Bureau (the EP President and the 14 Vice-Presidents). The Quaestors look after internal logistical matters.

The vast majority of MEPs sit in one of the 7 Political Groups which range in size from 28 to 265 members. A minimum of 25 MEPs, representing at least 7 Member States is necessary to form a political group. The Groups decide on the EP's leadership and also take a view on all the issues to be decided upon by the EP. 29 MEPs are not attached to any Political Group.

Most of Parliament's work is first prepared in one of its 20 specialised committees, dealing with legislative, budgetary and other matters. Unlike many national parliaments the committee meetings are normally held in public. Each committee is led by a chairman and 4 vice-chairmen, and a vital role is also played by the committee "coordinators", who are the leading spokespersons for each Political Group on a committee. Parliament reports are prepared and steered through committee and plenary by individual "rapporteurs", who are chosen by the coordinators from one of the Political Groups. The other political groups often appoint their own "shadow rapporteur" or spokesperson on the same issue.

Parliament's members also sit on delegations to individual third countries or groups of countries.

Unlike committees and delegations, "intergroups" on issues like disability or animal welfare are informal in nature, and contain members with similar concerns or interests from different countries and Political Groups.

EP Committees normally meet over two to four half days during two successive weeks each month in Brussels (Belgium). There is then a Political Group week in Brussels, and a Plenary Session in the fourth week each month from Monday to Thursday in Strasbourg (France). A number of shorter Plenary Sessions also take place in Brussels throughout the year (lasting two half days). The EP's calendar for 2012 has already been set.

The EP's staff is divided between Brussels and Luxembourg. This division of the EP between Luxembourg, Brussels and Strasbourg has developed for historic reasons, and has been maintained not by the EP but by the Member States in the Council of the EU for political reasons. It is now included in the Treaties.

The EP uses 23 languages in its work. While major languages like English or French are often used in informal meetings, maintenance of a broad-based language regime is considered to be essential for formal meetings. MEPs who are not civil servants but elected politicians, should have the right, even if they are good linguists, to table and amend precise legal and other texts in their own language. Moreover, use of a country's language is linked to defence of its distinctive culture.