
The European Parliament is the only supranational institution whose members are democratically elected, through universal direct vote.
The European Parliament represents the citizens of the member-states. Elected once every five years, The Parliament is involved in drafting legislation (directives, regulations etc) that directly affects every EU citizen's life, such as legislation on environment protection, consumer's rights, equal opportunities, transport, free movement of workers, capital and goods. The Parliament and the Council also have joint powers over the annual budget of the European Union.