The European Parliament adopted by 515 votes to 74, with 44 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft European Council decision establishing the composition of the European Parliament.
In line with the recommendation of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Parliament gave its consent to the draft Council decision to increase the number of seats in the European Parliament for the next legislative term from 705 to 720.
Under the European Council's plan, 15 additional Members will be elected in 12 countries in June 2024. Two additional seats will be allocated to France, Spain and the Netherlands. One additional seat will be allocated to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Members regretted the lack of sincere cooperation from the European Council.
Parliament stated that the draft decision on the composition of the European Parliament is without prejudice to the prerogatives of the European Parliament and the Council in the annual budgetary procedure and Recital 5 of that draft decision concerns matters that do not fall within the scope of the European Council's competences under Article 15(1) TEU and the legal basis of Article 14(2) TEU.
It is for the European Parliament and the Council alone to decide on the content of the Union's budget in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).