Mr Pöttering - who was first elected in 1979 and has been a life-long German Christian Democrat - said the Parliament is now a stronger EU institution with better cooperation with national parliaments and parliaments of countries outside the EU.
Eiropas Parlaments šajā laikā ir arī pratis uzlabot sadarbību ar nacionālajiem parlamentiem un veiksmīgi veicis iekšējo reformu.