1. Direct Elections
2. Historical Background

3. The Functions and Institutional Role of the European Parliament

4. Structure and Operation

5. A Member's Life

6. The Future

7. Conclusions

Appendix I:

(a) Officers and Members of the European Parliament: Essential Facts

(b) Essential Facts concerning Greek Members

Appendix II: Further Reading

Appendix III: Recent Developments

The European Parliament: What it is? What it does? How it works? is a seven-chapter text that describes the fundamentals and functions of the European Parliament.
This book begins with a revolutionary event of direct elections of the nine member countries of the European Community for the 410 members of the European Parliament. The next chapter provides a brief overview of the creation of the European Parliament, which is a product of the confused but dynamic movement to achieve European unity that marked the late 1940s and early 1950s. Other chapters describe the functions, institutional role, structure, and operation of the Parliament. A chapter relates the experience of a Parliament member. The final chapters consider the potential developments concerning the functions of the European Parliament.