Conditions for forming a political group in the European

Parliament

A political group in the European Parliament is the internal functional organisation which
brings together in each parliamentary term a number of not less than 25 Members, from at
least one quarter of the Member States of the Union, who are united by criteria of ideological
affinity and agree to submit to the organisational and internal discipline rules agreed in their
constitutive declaration.

When a group is created, the President of Parliament must be notified in a statement

specifying the name of the group, its members and its chairperson or group coordinator and a
policy statement, setting out the purpose of the group.

By forming a group, Members accept that they have political affinity. Only when the Members
concerned themselves deny this will Parliament have to assess whether the group has been set
up in accordance with the rules.

Groups may also be formed later during Parliament's term of office.

The Bureau of the Parliament establishes the rules for the management and audit of these
funds and facilities. The funds available to the groups serve to cover administrative and
operational costs of staff, as well as expenditure on political and information activities in
connection with the political activities of the Union. The budget may not be used to finance
any type of European, national, regional or local electoral campaign or political parties at
national or European level or their dependent bodies.

Some deputies do not belong to any political group; they are part of the "non-registered".
These are also entitled to have staff and have rights in accordance with the regulations
established by the Bureau.

Its usefulness is based on ideological union, favouring the formation of structured

representative policies in majorities and minorities.