Apportionment In The European Parliament
The apportionment of seats within the European Parliament to each member state of the European Union is set out by the EU treaties. The apportionment of seats is not proportional to each state's population, nor does it reflect any particular mathematical formula; however it is stated in the treaties that distribution of seats should be "degressively proportional" to the population of the member states. The process can be compared to the composition of the electoral college used to elect the President of the United States of America in that, pro rata, the smaller state received more places in the electoral college than the more populous states.
As of January 2012, the total number of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) is 752, two fewer than the current maximum number of MEPs which the coming into force of a recent amendment to the EU's treaties set as 754.
Read more about Apportionment In The European Parliament: Background, Current Apportionment, Nice System, Lisbon System, Growth in Membership
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