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The European Parliament is the EU's law-making body. It is directly elected by EU voters every 5 years. The last elections were in May 2014.
The Parliament has 3 main roles:
Infographic: ABC of the EU institutions
The number of MEPs for each country is roughly proportionate to its population, but this is by degressive proportionality: no country can have fewer than 6 or more than 96 MEPs and the total number cannot exceed 751 (750 plus the President). MEPs are grouped by political affiliation, not by nationality.
The President represents Parliament to other EU institutions and the outside world and gives the final go-ahead to the EU budget.
Parliament's work comprises two main stages:
If you want to ask the Parliament to act on a certain issue, you can petition it (either by post or online).
Petitions can cover any subject which comes under the EU's remit.
To submit a petition, you must be a citizen of an EU member state or be resident in the EU. Companies or other organisations must be based here.
Other ways of getting in touch with Parliament include contacting your local MEP or the European Parliament Information Office in your country.

Rue Wiertz/Wiertzstraat 60
B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel
Belgique/België
Type of visit: Guided tour, information session, individual tour, plenary sitting
Minimum size of group: 20-45 people (except for individual tour & plenary sitting)
Individual visitors: Monday to Thursday, tour starts at 10:00 and 15:00 Friday, tour starts at 10:00
Advance booking requirement: Groups: 2 months for group visits. Individual visitors: 15 minutes prior to visit
Minimum age of visitors: 14 years old

Plateau du Kirchberg
B.P. 1601
L-2929 Luxembourg
Type of visit: Information session
Minimum size of group: Not specified
Advance booking requirement: Not specified
Minimum age of visitors: Not specified

1, avenue du Président Robert Schuman
CS 91024
F-67070 Strasbourg Cedex
Type of visit: Guided tour, information session, plenary sitting, Euroscola (for schools, teachers and students)
Minimum size of group: 20-45 people (except for plenary sitting)
Individual visitors: During plenary sittings only
Advance booking requirement: 3 months (except for plenary sitting)
Minimum age of visitors: 14 years old

Type of visit: Individual tour
Minimum size of group: None
Advance booking requirement: Groups of more than 20 people
Opening days: Every day
Minimum age of visitors: Open to all ages. Minimum age recommended 8 years old.