Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg The city of Strasbourg (France) is the official seat of the European Parliament. The institution is legally bound to meet there twelve sessions a year lasting about four days each. Other work takes place in Brussels and Luxembourg City (see Location of European Union institutions for more information). 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
Strasbourg-Ortenau Eurodistrict an area of 2,368 km². Building on regional and Franco-German cooperation, it aims to develop bonds between citizens, associations, public administrations, educational establishments and corporations. It is also in the context of European integration, with the presence of European institutions in Strasbourg, and has been compared to a European version of Washington D.C.. In addition to the array of European and Franco-German institutions, the district includes three ports, two airports and 10 universities. The Eurodistrict's Council is composed of 48 members, with 24 each representing either the French or the German side. The idea of a eurodistrict Strasbourg-Kehl (as it