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Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg
| Louise Weiss building | |
|---|---|
Immeuble du Parlement Européen IV (IPE 4) | |
 Plaque commemorating the inauguration of the Louise Weiss building of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 14 December 1999, by President of France, Jacques Chirac, and President of the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Debating Chamber and MEP offices |
| Architectural style | Contemporary |
| Location | Strasbourg, France |
| Coordinates | 48°35′51″N 7°46′08″E / 48.597401°N 7.768825°E |
| 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[3] |
| Main contractor | S.E.R.S.[2] |
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.
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.
- ^ "The European Parliament's Louise Weiss building in Strasbourg". CVCE. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ "S.E.R.S website". Sers.eu. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
- ^ Official press release Archived 6 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Protocol (No 8) on the location of the seats of the institutions and of certain bodies and departments of the European Communities and of Europol (1997)" (PDF). Europa (web portal). Retrieved 15 July 2007.
- ^ "European Parliament calendar 2007" (PDF). Retrieved 7 March 2011.
- ^ "Interactive map of the European district of Strasbourg". En.strasbourg-europe.eu. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
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