For policy making, yes, MEPs are the ones voting. For administrative tasks, deciding on parliament agenda, etc. you need a smaller group for being practical in

For policy making, yes, MEPs are the ones voting. For administrative tasks, deciding on parliament agenda, etc. you need a smaller group for being practical in decision making. Starting each session with a debate on the day's agenda (while in some situations it is a relevant police decision which has to be taken by parliament) and adminsitrative routine tasks is quite inefficient. Now the parliament has 7 different political groups (fractions) and a bunch of independent members. Having two VPs per fraction is somewhat a compromise between true representative (which would need more people) or ignoring more (they are already ignoring independents) And yes, of course, you could also force less fractions, but fractions covering too broad of a spectrum are quite problematic too (see spread in the two parties in the US system ...) And in cost or whatever it is a small part of what parliament costs anyways and quite neglectible.