Résumé : This study has been prepared by the Centre d’étude de la vie politique (Cevipol), part of the Institute for European Studies (IEE) and the Faculté des sciences sociales et politiques (FSP) of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). It covers four aspects: 1) An overview of the existing criteria, conditions, and procedures for establishing a political party applying in the 27 Member States of the European Union. 2) An examination of how to amend current party statutes, notably at the European level, in order to create a more lively internal party democracy. 3) The development of suggestions towards a legal base of a future European party statute under EU law. 4) The development of proposals on how to involve the European Electoral Authority in the management and supervision of European political parties.