Abstract
The single European Act, provided to the European Parliament its first real legislative powers, powers that seem to have been enlarged in each treaty since, while its ability to monitor and control the executive, though embedded in the treaty of Rome, seems to have been increased in a similar way. But is this apparent extension of power really profitable to the European Parliament ? And were the treaties the main means for MEPs to gain power? Before the Single European Act, the European parliament was no more than a consultative organ of the European community. Even if it took this consultative role seriously and made extensive use of it, it had the same power as that of a lobby group. Even after being directly elected, it kept the name of the European Assembly.
