Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg
Meeting place for the EU legislative body / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The city of Strasbourg in France is the official seat of the European Parliament. The institution is legally bound by the decision of Edinburgh European Council of 11 and 12 December 1992 and Article 341 of the TFEU to meet there twelve times a year for a session, each of which usually takes about four days. The majority of work, however, takes place in Brussels, and some other work is undertaken in Luxembourg City (see Location of European Union institutions for more information).[4][5] Also all votes of the European Parliament must take place in Strasbourg. "Additional" sessions and committees take place in Brussels. Although de facto a majority of the Parliament's work is now geared to its Brussels site, it is legally bound to keep Strasbourg as its official home; a situation which garners much criticism from the European Parliament itself, as well as many interest groups, administrative staff, and environmentalist groups amongst others.
Louise Weiss building | |
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Immeuble du Parlement Européen IV (IPE 4) | |
General information | |
Type | Debating Chamber and MEP offices |
Architectural style | Contemporary |
Location | Strasbourg, France |
Coordinates | 48.597401°N 7.768825°E / 48.597401; 7.768825 (Louise Weiss building) |
Completed | 14 December 1999[1] |
Owner | European Union |
Height | 60 m (tower) |
Dimensions | |
Diameter | 100 m (tower) |
Other dimensions | Hemicycle inside : 56×44×15 m (184×144×49 ft) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 20 (17 above-ground levels, 3 sub-ground levels) |
Floor area | 220,000 m2 (2,400,000 sq ft) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Architecture-Studio[2] |
Main contractor | S.E.R.S.[3] |
The Parliament's six buildings, all named after distinguished European politicians, are located in the Quartier Européen (European Quarter) of the city, which it shares with other European organisations which are separate from the European Union's.[6] Previously the Parliament used to share the same assembly room as the Council of Europe. Today, the principal building is the Louise Weiss building, inaugurated in 1999 and named after the women's rights activist and former MEP, Louise Weiss.