Week 6 Flashcards
History of EP Role
Treaty of Rome: smallest role to EP
Single European Act: EP gets input for first time
Maastricht Treaty: introduced co-decision procedure
Later treaties extended subject-matter areas of co-decision
Ordinary legislative procedure
Joint adoption by EP and COU of regulation, directive, decision or proposal from COMM
Who can invite COMM to submit legislative proposal?
COU
EP (committee makes own-initiative report,
conference of presidents approve,
committee writes full report,
endorsement in plenary
Follow-up by COMM (3 months))
1 mil citizens from min 1/4 of MS
Stages of OLP
-COMM proposal
-First reading, EP, voting by majority
-Proposal to COU, qualified majority
-Second reading EP, accept/amend/reject COU amend.
-Proposal back to COU–> accept or next step
-Conciliation stage, committee drafts text good for both
-Third reading, EP and COU accept or bill fails
-signing and publication
Special Legislative Procedure
-Consent:
EP rejects(veto)/accepts, but can’t amend. (additions to citizen rights, establishment of European Public Prosecutor, Aspects of EU finances, Creation of uniform method of electing MEPs)
-Consultation:
(internal market exemptions, competition law, some financial matters, some intellectual property, some administrative issues)
If COU doesn’t wait for EP’s position, measure can be annulled.
EP can approve/reject/suggest amendments
(COU not bound)
Enhanced cooperation
Last resort when EU can’t obtain certain objectives
Areas of EU non-exclusive competences
Min 9 MS needed
Open to other MS to join later if they wish
MS address request to COMM, may submit proposal to COU (consults EP)
COU votes by qualified majority
All members of COU can deliberate, only those of MS participating can vote
Binding only to participants
Open method of coordination
soft law
Areas where MS have competence
through “peer-review”, exchange of best practices
Aim to improve domestic policies and learn from one another
