MEP CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

11.19.00am GMT Tue 18th Mar 2008

Commenting on the European parliament's 50th birthday on the 19th March , local LibDem Euro-MP Liz Lynne, who has served as Member for the West Midlands region since 1999, said:

"Since the then Assembly's launch in 1958, the European Parliament has significantly grown in size and decision-making and now has equal power to draft legislation alongside Member State governments in many areas.

"Whether adopting common standards on environmental legislation or providing EU wide antidiscrimination rules, it is a parliament that is becoming ever more relevant to people's lives. Lower mobile phone roaming charges and an end to animal testing of cosmetics products are two issues which have also had an impact on local people.

"However with the growth of the Parliament has come the need for reform and the Liberal Democrats will continue to push for changes to make European institutions to make them more efficient, transparent, democratic and accessible to all people. Reforms will help us better serve the world's second-largest electorate in the only directly-elected multinational parliament."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Together with the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament forms the bicameral legislative branch of the EU. Together they form the highest legislative body within the Union. However the Parliament's powers as such are limited to the competences conferred upon the European Community by member states.

On the 19 March 1958 the first constituent session of the European Parliamentary Assembly had 142 MEPs, speaking 4 languages. Today the Parliament is composed of 785 MEPs speaking 23 official languages and representing almost 500 million citizens. Once the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, the European Parliament, following the elections in June 2009, will be composed of 751 MEPs with its powers once more enlarged.