Portal:Politics/Selected article/2007, week 32

A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP) is a member of the European Union's directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. MEPs are the European Union's equivalents of a country's national legislators, known in the United Kingdom as MPs, hence the term Euro-MP is used colloquially in English. Another term is Euro-deputy, more common in countries like France, Italy, Spain or Portugal. For a list of the current members see Members of the European Parliament 2004-2009.

When Parliament was first established, MEPs were appointed by member states in national delegations. Since 1979, however, MEPs have been elected by direct universal suffrage. Each country establishes their own way of electing their MEPs.