# European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation

> government agency

**Wikidata**: [Q1276606](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1276606)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Centre_for_Parliamentary_Research_and_Documentation)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/european-centre-for-parliamentary-research-and-documentation

## Summary
The European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD) is a government agency established in 1977 to provide specialized research and documentation services to parliaments across Europe. It functions as an organizational part of a government dedicated to specific public services, operating under the European Union corporate body code ECPRD. The entity is recognized internationally through numerous library authority identifiers and maintains a physical presence with a seminar reading room in the European Parliament Library in Brussels.

## Key Facts
*   **Inception Year:** The organization was founded in 1977.
*   **Entity Classification:** It is classified as a government agency and an organizational part of a government responsible for specific public services.
*   **Corporate Code:** The EU corporate body code assigned to the entity is ECPRD.
*   **Primary Location:** The organization operates a seminar reading room located in the European Parliament Library in Brussels.
*   **International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI):** 000000012314753X.
*   **Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) ID:** 138776307.
*   **German National Library (GND) ID:** 673052-8.
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n87830783.
*   **Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) ID:** 12248707w.
*   **National Library of Spain (BNE) ID:** XX162470.
*   **National Library of Latvia ID:** 000122160.
*   **National Library of Lithuania ID:** LNB:KSg;=Bb.
*   **National Library of Luxembourg ID:** 000016280.
*   **National Library of Portugal ID:** 213819.
*   **National Library of Poland (MMS) ID:** 9810655497905606.
*   **NUKAT ID:** n2004013249.
*   **BIBSYS ID:** 1047808.
*   **ELNET ID:** a11519046.
*   **IDREF ID:** 031231535.
*   **NACSI S Cat Author ID:** DA13352066.
*   **CINII Research ID:** 1140000791678965376.
*   **NL CR Aut ID:** kn20110411009 (Qualifier: "European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation").
*   **RERO ID (Legacy):** A000032069.
*   **Libraries Australia ID:** 35689506.
*   **NLA Trove People ID:** 1043755.
*   **Yale LUX ID:** group/aa23be7f-694e-4320-b0b1-6ae9ff5e7f95.
*   **UIA Open Yearbook Organization Website ID:** 1100020214.
*   **EuroVoc ID:** 8395.
*   **Freebase ID:** /m/0bmgs0d.
*   **NLP ID:** a0000002063835.
*   **Wikipedia Languages:** The entity has dedicated pages in English, German, French, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Norwegian Bokmål, plus a Commons category.
*   **Sitelink Count:** The entity has 6 Wikipedia language sitelinks and 47 related sitelinks in the "government agency" class.
*   **Image Source:** A photograph of the ECPRD seminar Reading Room of the European Parliament Library in Brussels from 2018 is available on Wikimedia Commons.

## FAQs
**What is the primary function of the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation?**
As a government agency, the ECPRD is responsible for providing specific public services related to parliamentary research and documentation. It serves as a central hub for information and study within the European parliamentary framework.

**When was the ECPRD established and what is its official designation?**
The organization was founded in 1977 and holds the specific EU corporate body code "ECPRD." It is formally categorized as an organizational part of a government dedicated to public service delivery.

**Which international library systems recognize the ECPRD?**
The entity is indexed by major national libraries including those in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, and Australia, as well as the Library of Congress and the NUKAT center. It also holds identifiers from the VIAF, ISNI, and GND authority files.

**In which languages is information about the ECPRD available?**
Documentation and Wikipedia entries for the center exist in English, German, French, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Norwegian Bokmål. Additionally, the organization maintains a dedicated category on Wikimedia Commons.

**Where is the ECPRD physically located?**
The center operates a seminar reading room situated within the European Parliament Library in Brussels. This facility serves as a key location for its documentation and research activities.

## Why It Matters
The European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation plays a critical role in the infrastructure of European governance by standardizing and centralizing parliamentary research capabilities. By functioning as a dedicated government agency, it ensures that legislative bodies have access to high-quality, verified documentation and comparative research, which is essential for informed lawmaking. Its extensive network of library authority identifiers across dozens of national and international institutions highlights its status as a trusted, cross-border resource for academic and governmental inquiry. The existence of a physical seminar room in the European Parliament Library underscores its active role in facilitating dialogue and study among parliamentarians and researchers.

## Notable For
*   **Longevity:** Established in 1977, it has served as a continuous resource for European parliamentary research for over four decades.
*   **Multilingual Presence:** It maintains active documentation and web presence across five distinct European languages (English, German, French, and two Norwegian variants).
*   **Global Library Integration:** The entity is uniquely identified by over 20 distinct authority IDs from major national libraries and research databases worldwide.
*   **Physical Infrastructure:** It operates a specialized seminar reading room within the prestigious European Parliament Library in Brussels.
*   **Standardized Classification:** It is formally recognized under EuroVoc ID 8395 and holds a specific EU corporate body code, distinguishing it from non-governmental research bodies.
*   **Digital Archiving:** The organization is cataloged in the Yale LUX digital library system and the UIA Open Yearbook, ensuring long-term digital preservation of its organizational data.

## Body

### Organizational Identity and Classification
The European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation is formally defined as a government agency. This classification places it as an organizational part of a government structure responsible for delivering specific public services, similar to entities in health, judiciary, education, or foreign affairs. The entity is assigned the specific EU corporate body code "ECPRD," which serves as its unique identifier within European administrative systems. It is categorized under EuroVoc ID 8395, linking it to specific thematic areas of European policy and administration. The organization is also indexed in the Freebase database with the ID /m/0bmgs0d and the UIA Open Yearbook with ID 1100020214.

### Founding and Historical Context
The ECPRD was established in 1977, marking the beginning of its long-standing service to European parliaments. This inception date is a primary reference point for its historical timeline. Over the years, the organization has maintained a consistent presence, evidenced by its inclusion in various library catalogs and authority files that have been updated as recently as 2023. The entity's history is documented through multiple authority records, including the NUKAT ID n2004013249, which reflects its long-term academic and administrative footprint.

### International Authority and Library Identification
A defining characteristic of the ECPRD is its extensive recognition by global library and authority systems. The organization holds the ISNI value 000000012314753X and the VIAF ID 138776307, which link its identity across international databases. In the German-speaking world, it is identified by the GND ID 673052-8. The Library of Congress assigns it the authority ID n87830783, while the Bibliothèque nationale de France uses the ID 12248707w.

National library systems across Europe provide further verification:
*   **Spain:** National Library of Spain SPMABN ID XX162470.
*   **Portugal:** National Library of Portugal ID 213819.
*   **Latvia:** National Library of Latvia ID 000122160.
*   **Lithuania:** National Library of Lithuania ID LNB:KSg;=Bb.
*   **Luxembourg:** National Library of Luxembourg ID 000016280.
*   **Poland:** National Library of Poland MMS ID 9810655497905606.
*   **Australia:** Libraries Australia ID 35689506 and NLA Trove People ID 1043755.
*   **Norway:** BIBSYS ID 1047808.
*   **Estonia/Latvia/Estonia region:** ELNET ID a11519046.
*   **France (Research):** IDREF ID 031231535.
*   **Czech Republic:** NL CR Aut ID kn20110411009, with the qualifier "European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation."
*   **Switzerland:** RERO ID (Legacy) A000032069.
*   **Japan:** NACSI S Cat Author ID DA13352066 and CINII Research ID 1140000791678965376.
*   **USA (Yale):** Yale LUX ID group/aa23be7f-694e-4320-b0b1-6ae9ff5e7f95.
*   **Poland (NLP):** NLP ID a0000002063835.

### Physical Presence and Facilities
The ECPRD maintains a tangible operational base within the European Parliament Library in Brussels. This facility includes a dedicated seminar reading room, which serves as a hub for research and educational activities. A photograph documenting this space, titled "ECPRD_semiar_Reading_Room_of_the_European_Parliament_Library_in_Brussels_2018.jpg," is hosted on Wikimedia Commons, providing visual evidence of its infrastructure. The center's physical location supports its role as a government agency providing direct public services to parliamentarians and researchers.

### Digital Footprint and Multilingual Resources
The organization's digital presence is robust and multilingual. It maintains Wikipedia articles in English, German, French, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Norwegian Bokmål, reflecting its broad European reach. The entity also has a dedicated category on Wikimedia Commons titled "European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation." In terms of web indexing, it is associated with the NACSI S Cat Author ID DA13352066 and the CINII Research ID 1140000791678965376, ensuring its visibility in academic search engines. The "sitelink_count" for the entity is recorded as 6 for its primary language pages, with an additional 47 related sitelinks in the broader "government agency" class, indicating a high degree of interconnectedness within the knowledge graph.

### Aliases and Naming Conventions
The ECPRD is known by several aliases and translations across different languages, reflecting its international scope. These include:
*   C.E.R.D.P.
*   CERDP
*   Centre européen de recherche et de documentation (French)
*   Europäisches Zentrum für Parlamentarische Wissenschaft und Dokumentation (German)

These variations ensure that the entity is discoverable regardless of the language of the user or the specific national library catalog being queried. The consistency of these names across the various authority IDs (ISNI, VIAF, GND, etc.) confirms that they all refer to the same single organizational entity.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. BnF authorities
3. CiNii Research