European political party - Definition and Overview

The European political party, or formally political party at European level, is a type of political party organization in the European Union, eligible to receive funding from the Union. Article 191 of the Treaty of Maastricht says 'Political parties at European level are important as a factor for integration within the Union. They contribute to forming a European awareness and to expressing the political will of the citizens of the Union.' [1] (http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/treaties/selected/livre247.html) This is also codified in the draft Treaty establishing a constitution for Europe which states in Article 45(4) that 'Political parties at European level contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of Union citizens.' [2] (http://europa.eu.int/futurum/constitution/part1/title6/index_en.htm)

Stemming from this provision, Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003 lays out the regulations governing 'political parties at European level' and the rules regarding their funding. [3] (http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32003R2004&model=guichett)

Several European political parties have been created, based on Europe-wide party alliances. Within the European Parliament these parties often express themselves as European Parliament party groups which may be alliances of more than one European political parties, or possibly alliances between parties and nominally independents.

The parties

• European Democratic Party
• European Free Alliance
• European Left
• European People's Party
• European Greens
• European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
• Party of European Socialists

The parliamentary groups

• European People's Party - European Democrats
• Party of European Socialists
• Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
• European Greens - European Free Alliance
• European United Left - Nordic Green Left
• Independence and Democracy
• Union for a Europe of Nations

See also

• Index of political parties to browse parties by name
• List of political parties to browse parties by country
• List of political parties by ideology to browse parties by name
• Membership of internationals to browse parties by membership of internationals
• Category:European Parliament party groups