Political groups of the European Parliament Group" (which eventually became the S&D group), the "Christian Democrat Group" (later EPP group) and the "Liberals and Allies Group" (later ALDE group). As the Parliament developed, other Groups emerged. Gaullists from France founded the European Democratic Union Group. When Conservatives from Denmark and the United Kingdom joined, they created the European Conservatives Group, which (after some name changes) eventually merged with the Group of the European People's Party. The 1979 first direct election established further groups and the establishment of European political parties such as the European People's Party. A full breakdown of Groups by complexion and timeline is
Committees of the European Parliament Committees of the European Parliament The Committees of the European Parliament are designed to aid the European Commission in initiating legislation. Standing Committees are made up of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who are directly elected to the seats in the European Parliament by the electorate. Each Committee has a chairman and four vice-chairmen, along with numerous committee members. Each committee also has substitute members. Reports are usually compiled by a rapporteur, who is appointed by the chairman of the committee, selected from amongst the members or permanent substitutes. The established system for the appointment of committee chairs follows