EU Decision-Making Procedures (I): Legislation – Democracy in Practice

24 important questions on EU Decision-Making Procedures (I): Legislation – Democracy in Practice

Where can you find the OLP? And how does the first reading work?

It is laid down in art.294
1.proposal commission to parlement and council
first reading
2. Parlements asopts its positions and sends it to the council.
3. If the council agrees they take it. 
4. If they dont agree, they adopted their posisiton and send it to the parlement. They need to inform the full reasons.

Second reading OLP

The second reading is when the council does not agree on the position of the parlement.

the parlement needs to
- approve the councils postion,
- reject woth majoprity of components.(not adopted)
- can amend.

What if the parlement amends in OLP?

Council needs to with QMV in three monts?
- approve. (adopted)
- rejects, meeting with president council and president parliament.meeting of Conciliation committe.
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When does the council needs a unanimously act in OLP?

When the commission has delivred a negative opinion.

What is a conciliation committe

Composed of member of the coubncil and equal number of representatives of the eu parlement. They need to find an agreement on a joiny text. QMV of council and majority of parliament.

What part does the commission have in the concliation committe?

Takes part in proceedings. Needs to take neccessary initatives to reconciling the positions of both.

What if the conciliation commitee reches an agreement?

Then there comes a third reading: both have to adopted the texts parliament with majority council QMV. Otherwise not adopted.e period can also be extend.

What if there is OLP on intiatiove court or ms. Etc? Cases provided in the treaty on basis of OLP/

Lid 2 to 6 dont apply.
instead the eu parliament and the council shall comminutcate the proposed act to the commission with theur positions. During the readings they can request the commissions opinion. Commission can also do this in their own or take place in the conciliation committe.

What is secondary eu law?

  • directives
  • regulations
  • decisions
  • recommendation not bindin

What is the diffrence between directives and regulation

directive problem: might not implement on time, ms might overlook parts of the directivethere is a risic of misapplication. national agencies can make a mistake like long delays.

What can the commission do if a ms failed to fullfill an obligation under the treaty, art.258 tfeu

Deliver a reasoned opnion on the matter, if the state doesnt apply they can be bought before the court.

What if a ms considers that another ms has failed to fullfill an obligation?,art.259 tfeu

- bring a matter before the court?
- before this, matter before the commission. Comission gives opinion after they heard the ms.  if commission doenst do this the matter can still be bought to court.

What if a state has infringed an obligation under eu law?art.260 tfeu

- required to take steps neccessary to comply with the judgement of court.
- under 2 a penalty can be asked.

Can the commission ask for money if there is an infringement?

Yes if demed necessary art.260 (3) tfeu.

Informal infringement in eu law?

  • informal discussion, with ms
  • administrative letter
  • package meeting/compliance, quite productive, l;awyer from commission and member state, it can give its position of ms and the position of the eu commission
  • eu pilot, slightly formal procedure via it system, commission can send questions to ms , structured dialogue. the infringement is serious when we reach this state. not used for all
  • political letter , last state commissionair will send it to the government, as a way to last chance to change position

How can the parliament play a role in infringment procedures?

EU parlement
  • political pressure through ep resolutions or via debates
  • parliamentary questions to the commission
  • petitions from individuals to the European parliament. art.24 227

What part does the eu ombudsman play in infringement procedure?

European ombudsman
  • power to receive complaints from any citizen of the union or any natural or legal person residing or having its registered office in a member state concerning instances of maladministration in the activities of the union institutions, bodiesn . How can you push the commission, the slide baout this is a guidemap to it.

Who had the burden of prood in a infringement proceeding?


Burden of proof and infringement proceedings
it lays on the commission, commission has to prove the infringement has taken plays this is hard because the commission is bound bij egality between member states.

What are solvit centres?

national data protection supervisory authorities
financial authorities: the european banking authority
the european consumer centres network
authorities to enforce geo blocking regulation
solvit is a network, network national centres that are stuffed by national centres. it is informal beased commission recommendation. No solvit officier, it is a online system. you cvan submit complaints online. it has existed for 20 year to solve red tape problems etc

How are trilogues held at first reading?

Representatives ep will negiotate with the council presidencyty and the commission.

What if in a trilgue an agreement is met in the first reading?

Council presidcency will commincate to parliamentary commitee that council will formally approve. If parlement approves., then council QMV,

What if there is an agreement after the parliament adopted its position in the first reading?

Chair commitee will inform  presendcey council, if the council confrims the results of the negioatation in position of first reading the parliament will reccomand at the start of th second ready to adopt the councils position without amendments.

How long can time periods be extended?

3 months, not more than one month. Six weeks more than 2 weeks.

What is critque on trilogies?

The trilogue everyone knows they happen but no one can enter them. No press no NGO’s if you follow the regular legislation more transparecy The outside world wants to know what is discussed

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