Why have the national governments of EU member states endowed the European Parliament with supervisory, budgetary, and legislative powers? In this study of the European Parliament, the author develops a theory of delegation to representative institutions, and demonstrates just how and why the European Parliament has become so powerful. - Съдържа: pt. I. Theory -- The empowerment of the European parliament : lessons from the new institutionalism and democratic theory -- Parliamentary institutions in international polities : What are the conditions? -- pt. II. The European parliament's power trias -- The origins of the Common Assembly of the European coal and steel community -- Budgetary powers and the Treaty of Luxembourg -- Legislative powers and the single European Act -- From Maastricht to the constitutional treaty : the return of national parliaments? -- Conclusion : no integration with representation.*