The European Parliament is the legislative arm of the European Union and represents its citizens. On 8 December 2008, the Commission adopted a Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation (hereinafter: the proposal) (1). They consider Commission and Council proposals and, where necessary, draw up reports to be presented to the plenary assembly. The Commission informs Parliament of its position. The agreement reached in the Conciliation Committee has to be confirmed by both the Parliament and the Council. In its legislative role, the Parliament passes laws (along with the Council of the EU) which have been proposed by the European Commission. For inter-institutional negotiations of legislative proposals, Parliament’s negotiating team is presided over by the chair of the committee responsible, while the rapporteur for the specific file plays a leading role in defending Parliament’s position. To date, the Council has never rejected an agreement reached in conciliation. You can advise your MEP on which tabled amendments you think are advantageous or otherwise. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 173 and the third paragraph of Article 175 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, At least a quarter of the member states must be represented within each group and 25 members are needed to form a group. During the 2014-2019 legislative term, 89% of the files were agreed at first reading, compared with 85% in the 2009-2014 legislative term, , 72% in 2004-2009 and 29% in 1999-2004. The choice of committee depends on the subject matter covered by the proposal. The "right of initiative" lies with the European Commission. Agreement to certain amendments or compromise proposals is given, subject to overall agreement. We counted both successful and unsuccessful attempts to put a veto to a vote in the Council and in Parliament. It is considered to have been convened when its first meeting takes place. The vote on the joint text is preceded by a debate in plenary on the outcome of the negotiations and the agreement reached (or not reached) with Council. There is no specific order in which the co-legislators must decide. 07/10/2013. The Parliament delegation also considers procedural issues, for instance, whether another trilogue meeting should be arranged, or whether the Conciliation Committee can be convened and, if so, when. In the committee stage, amendments can only be tabled by a full or substitute member of the committee concernedwhile amendments in plenary must be tabled by the committee responsible, a political group, or at least 36 MEPs (one-twentieth of Parliament’s component Members). 3244. The Commission will then work closely with the European Parliament and the Council to finalise an agreement on the future long-term framework and the accompanying sectoral programmes. It is in conformity with Article 5. The legislative act is adopted and published as a directive (or regulation or decision) of the European Parliament and of the Council. MEPs pay EU tax and insurance contributions, after which the salary is €6,824.85. Council of the European Union. The documentation received by Parliament comprises: all declarations made in the Council minutes when the position was adopted, the reasons that led the Council to adopt its position. ask the Commission a question on the basis of which it might consider legislation.More on questions, submit a petition to the European Parliament.More on petitions, Once the Commission starts preparing or revising legislation, it usually opens a public consultation, allowing interested parties and experts to give their views.More on public consultations. REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third -country national or a stateless person (recast) EN 2 EN EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 1. 2017/0143(COD) COD - Ordinary legislative procedure (ex-codecision procedure) Regulation Subject 2.50.03 Securities and financial markets, stock exchange, CIUTS, investments 2.50.05 Insurance, pension funds 4.10.11 Retirement, pensions 4.60.06 Consumers' economic and legal interests There are 23 committees in parliament, dealing with policy areas such as security and defence, human rights, international trade and constitutional affairs, which examine proposals for legislation. Committees sometimes organise public hearings, in which you may be able to participate. Voting is compulsory in Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Greece. Council examines the joint text. The number of votes needed in Council's second reading depends on the Commission's opinion on Parliament's amendments. Cion doc. Together with the European Parliament, the Council adopts legislation proposed by the European Commission. They can of course modify proposals or reject them altogether. COM(2018)0476. The European Institutions are made up primarily of the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council of the European Union. Parliament adopts a Position of the European Parliament at first reading. In both cases, the Council only finalises its position after receiving Parliament's first reading amendments and the Commission's resulting amended proposal. The political groups must also appoint an equal number of substitute members, who can take an active part in the proceedings of the delegation, but can vote only if they replace a full member. The European Parliament and Council Directive 97/56/EC4,16th If the text is adopted by both Parliament and Council, it is submitted for signature by the Presidents and Secretaries-General of the European Parliament and Council, after which it is published in the Official Journal. The Council delegation is chaired by the minister presiding over the Council in charge of the dossier. Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading. There is no time limit on the Council's first reading. Notable procedures are the consultation and consent procedures, though various others are used for specific cases. They are admissible only if they seek: to wholly or partly restore Parliament's first reading position, to reach a compromise between Parliament and Council, to amend part of the Council text that was not included in, or differs in content from, the original Commission proposal. The parliamentary committee responsible first verifies the legal basis of the proposal. The European Parliament and Council must then consider, before concluding the first reading, whether the proposal is compatible with the principle of subsidiarity. The final joint text, the report drawn-up by the rapporteur and the delegation chair, the covering letter, and any institutional declarations are sent to Parliament's plenary services. That group proposes a rapporteur from among its committee members or permanent substitutes. The finalised joint text, which has undergone legal-linguistic verification in both Parliament and Council, is formally forwarded by the co-chairs of the Conciliation Committee to the President of the Parliament and the President-in-office of the Council. The Council now has three months (or four months if extended) to act. The Council either approves all Parliament's amendments, in which case the legislative act is adopted, or it does not approve all the amendments. The purpose of these negotiations is to reach agreement on a package of amendments acceptable to Council and Parliament. Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading. The Council position and committee's second reading recommendation are automatically put on the draft plenary agenda for the Wednesday before the deadline for Parliament's second reading, but it can be dealt with in an earlier plenary session. Unlike negotiations at the first reading stage, Parliament’s mandate will be its first reading position. Members then have 24 hours to object. EC. National parliaments receive all Commission legislative proposals at the same time as the European Parliament and Council, giving them the chance to react to proposals with an opinion. You can submit your opinion to them, to any other member of the committee, or to any MEP. Since the Amsterdam Treaty, it has been possible to conclude an ordinary legislative procedure at first reading. It shares powers of budget and legislation with the Council of the European Union, which represents EU member state governments. Summary . The European Commission is represented by the Commissioner or their representative (Director-General of the department in charge of the dossier), assisted by experts, its legal service and the administration. However, if a vote is needed, approval requires the support of an absolute majority of members (at least 14 of a possible 27). In order to do so, the co-legislators (Parliament and Council) have to negotiate unless they both approve the Commission proposal without amendments or agree to minor technical amendments that do not require negotiation. Disputes over competence may be resolved through procedures involving associated committees or with joint committee meetings and votes. In the 2014-2019 legislative term, only four out of 401 legislative files (1%) were agreed at the second reading (excluding agreements at early second reading), compared to 5% in the 2009-2014 term, 13% in the 2004-2009 term and 24% in the 1999-2004 term. Other committees might be offered the possibility to offer their opinion if the subject matter also concerns them. Each national parliament has two votes. The age of eligibility is 18 in all besides Greece, where it is 17, and Austria and Malta, where it is 16. The Proposal was presented to the Home Affairs Ministers at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 7-8 June 2012 and is currently under discussion within Council and the European Parliament with a view to adopt a regulation under the ordinary legislative procedure by the end of … Once the report is adopted in committee, it is placed on the plenary agenda. The time limits laid down by the Treaty for the subsequent stages of the procedure begin after Parliament announces reception of Council´s first reading position in plenary (the day after the announcement, which usually takes place on Thursday). The Conciliation Committee, composed of an equal number of MEPs and Council representatives, tries to reach agreement on a joint text. The Council position goes first to the committee responsible, which prepares a recommendation for Parliament's second reading. In comparison, in the 7th legislative term (2009-2014) 14% of co-decision/OLP files went to the environment committee, 11% to the economic and monetary committee and 10% to the international trade and civil liberties committees. To: Mr Jeppe TRANHOLM -MIKKELSEN, Secretary -General of the Council of the European Union No. So far, three joint texts have been rejected by Parliament: Protection of biotechnological inventions in 1995, The Council has never rejected a joint text. If Parliament does not take a decision by the deadline, the act is deemed to have been adopted in accordance with the Council's first reading position. The committee responsible for budgetary issues can also do such a check on its own initiative. It also asks the Commission to propose legislation. Approval is by a simple majority of votes cast; otherwise the joint text is rejected. What is the Council of the European Union? initiate the process whereby the Parliament asks the Commission to propose legislation. currently 14). There are four possible outcomes to a second reading: Parliament approves the Council's position and the act is adopted; Parliament does not take a decision within the time limit, in which case the act is adopted as amended by Council in its first reading; Parliament rejects the Council's first reading position, in which case the act is not adopted and the procedure is ended; Parliament proposes amendments to the Council's first reading position and forwards its position to the Council for a second reading. In addition, they are entitled to perks including a general expenditure allowance, golden parachute, travel expenses, daily allowance, a budget for staff, car service, a pension and medical expenses. It has six (or eight if jointly agreed) weeks to agree a joint text. 16/02/2012. 4. It also plays a key role in electing the president of the European Commission, and has the power to dismiss the Commission. If the committee responsible, a political group, or at least 36 MEPs feel that the proposal or parts of it do not comply with EU fundamental rights, it can be referred to the committee responsible for the protection of fundamental rights (the civil liberties committee). The final proposal is forwarded simultaneously to the European Parliament, Council and national parliaments and, in some cases, to the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee. The text of the first reading position is sent to the Parliament, together with a statement of reasons, and any statements made by the Council and/or the Commission for the Council's minutes. At the same time, a significant number were broad, cross-policy proposals that had to be examined by two or more parliamentary committees. Together with the European Parliament, it is both the EU’s lawmaker and the budgetary authority of the EU. The outcome of the vote is notified to the Council and the Commission. Referral to associated committees announced in Parliament. If it is approved by Parliament and Council, the act is adopted. The Commission proposal is sent to the Council at the same time it goes to the European Parliament. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91(1)thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Each legislative proposal requiring conciliation is discussed separately within a dedicated Conciliation Committee. The European Parliament examines the joint text and votes in plenary. The European Parliament adopts a legislative resolution on the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee in which it either approves or rejects the joint text. Parliament's committees deal with EU legislative proposals by adopting reports, which then are referred to plenary for voting by all Members, and appoint negotiation teams to conduct talks with Council. : +352 4398-1 Opinion No 6/2020 concerning the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Recovery and Resilience Facility The two institutions vote separately on the joint text as it stands, without any possibility of further amending it. NAME OF THE PROPOSAL: Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on the elimination of customs duties on certain products 2. Once the act is adopted, it is submitted for the signature of the Presidents and Secretaries-General of Parliament and Council, and is published in the Official Journal. 1. Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading . The three EU Institutions, the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission, have committed to agree each year on a number of priority proposals, to which they want to ensure substantial progress. There are virtually no possibilities for introducing amendments, but you can inform the MEPs participating in the conciliation committee and your government on the points that you believe should not be included in the final legislative act. Relations with national parliaments If the Commission refuses to submit a proposal, it has to give an explanation. The plenary then votes on the joint text. Legislative proposal COM(2018)0476 13/06/2018. Parliament's first reading position is forwarded to the Council. The Council is represented by a member of the Council or the deputy or permanent representative (chair of Coreper I or II respectively) of the member state holding the Presidency, who is assisted by members of the Council's secretariat, including its legal service. Go to the page: Legislative priorities . If the Conciliation Committee does not approve a joint text, the proposed legislative act falls and the procedure is ended. Vote in … The rapporteur guides the proposal through the various stages of the procedure, advising the committee (during consideration at committee stage) and the Parliament as a whole (at plenary stage) on the general approach. The Commission is present at this and all subsequent Parliament delegation meetings. All amendments are subject to a vote in the committee responsible, which votes by simple majority. If the Council proposes changes to the Parliament's position at first reading, the resulting document is: Position of the Council at first reading. The minimum age to stand as a candidate is set by the national government of each member state and varies from 18 in France and Germany to 25 in Greece and Italy. The Treaty specifically requires the Commission to deliver a written opinion on Parliament's amendments and this determines the type of vote necessary in the Council: if, for instance, the Council wishes to adopt a Parliament amendment on which the Commission has delivered a negative opinion, it must do so unanimously. There are four possible scenarios for Council's first reading: If Parliament has not adopted any amendments and Council does not wish to change the Commission's proposal, it can approve the act by qualified majority. Salaries are the same for each MEP and as of July 2018 are € 8,757.70 per month, which is paid out of the Parliament's budget. The committee decides on the amendments and the recommendation for second reading by simple majority. Negotiations take place during informal tripartite meetings (trilogues) including the Commission. It could include specific requests, usually addressed to the other institutions, or clarifications. It cannot change the wording. The Council adopted a Partial General Approach at its meeting (Competitiveness) on 30 November 2018. To: Mr Jeppe TRANHOLM -MIKKELSEN, Secretary -General of the Council of the European Union No. If agreement is reached, the committee comes up with a "joint text" or (in full) "Joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee". 3260. 21/10/2013. A Member of the European Parliament, working in one of the parliamentary committees, draws up a report on a proposal for a ‘legislative text’ presented by the European Commission, the only institution empowered to initiate legislation. Following a successful conclusion to the conciliation procedure, a draft joint text is prepared on the basis of the joint working document and any modifications agreed in conciliation. The possibility of introducing changes to the draft text is minimal. Parliament approves the joint position by a simple majority of votes cast. The Council, on the other hand, remains more reluctant and, in the draft Council Decision approving the TCA, only committed to putting the European Parliament “in a position to exercise fully its institutional prerogatives throughout the process in accordance with the Treaties.” The Commission's position on the Parliament's amendments is approved by the College of Commissioners. The third reading is conducted over a period of six weeks from the date of this letter. The Commission's proposals are scrutinised in detail by the European Parliament and the Council. The Council has three (with a possible extension to four) months to examine Parliament's second reading position. The Council examines Parliament's second reading position and either approves all of Parliament's amendments, meaning the act is adopted, or does not approve all amendments, leading to the convening of the Conciliation Committee. The working parties report to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper, Part I or II), which prepares every Council decision taken at ministerial level. Before the committee responsible takes a final vote on a proposal for a legislative act, it asks the Commission to state its position on all amendments adopted by the committee, and requests a comment from the Council. The same restrictions apply to amendments in plenary as at the committee stage. According to Protocol No 1 on the role of national parliaments and Protocol No 2 on the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality in the Treaty on European Union, national parliaments have eight weeks to issue a reasoned opinion if they consider that draft legislation does not comply with the principle of subsidiarity. : +352 4398-1 Opinion No 6/2020 concerning the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Recovery and Resilience Facility Where negotiations are successful, the chair of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper), which prepares Council decisions, will send a letter to the chair of the parliamentary committee responsible, in which the Council undertakes to approve the Parliament's amendments if they are in line with the compromise jointly identified by Council and Parliament. The Council delegation approves it by a qualified majority (or unanimity in cases stipulated by the Treaty) while the Parliament delegation votes by a simple majority of its component members. More information about Parliament's delegation to the Conciliation Committee can be found below. It also asks the Commission to propose legislation. This examination is known as a 'reading'. A Commission proposal may also come following a European citizens’ initiative. In areas where the EU shares power to act with EU countries, national parliaments check whether action would be more effective at national or regional level (principle of subsidiarity). If the proposal has financial implications, the committee responsible must also verify that it is compatible with the multiannual financial framework, i.e. 02/07/2018 . In the framework of the Conciliation Committee the two co-legislators - European Parliament and Council - negotiate directly with the aim of reaching an agreement in the form of a joint text. European Court of Auditors - 12, rue Alcide De Gasperi - 1615 LUXEMBOURG - Tel. Its task is to represent the whole Parliament in negotiations with the Council. If the Conciliation Committee approves a joint text, the text is forwarded for a third reading to the European Parliament and the Council. It stressed that "Every citizen must be equipped with the skills needed to live and work in this new information Rejection of the Council's first reading position ends the legislative procedure: this can only be re-launched by a new Commission proposal. Brussels, 23.9.2020 COM(2020) 612 final 2020/0278 (COD) Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL introducing a screening of third country nationals at the external borders and amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/817. In the 2009-2014 term, 8% of the files were adopted in early second reading, taking an average of 32 months. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL • Grounds for and objectives of the proposal The Lisbon European Council in March 2000 recognised that Europe faces challenges in adapting to globalisation and the shift to knowledge-based economies. The European Council does not adopt EU laws. Council of the European Union . Directives lay down end results to be achieved in every member state, but leaves it up to national governments to decide how to adapt their laws to achieve these goals. If Parliament and Council approve the joint text, the legislative proposal is adopted. The Parliament first votes on amendments to the Commission proposal. It meets alternately at the premises of the Parliament and the Council, mostly in Brussels. The rapporteur is responsible for presenting a draft report to committee, including his/her amendments to the Commission proposal. Only the committee responsible prepares a report; there are no opinions from other committees. The delegation aims to act by consensus. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular the third paragraph of Article 175 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and … You can only ask MEPs and/or your government to approve or reject the joint text. Amendments are limited to restoring Parliament's previous amendments, reflecting a compromise between Parliament and Council, or a new legal situation. The letter is also addressed, for information, to the Commission representative who took part in the Conciliation Committee. During the six-week (possibly extended to eight) period, members of the European Parliament delegation receive the final joint text in their respective languages, along with a report outlining the various stages and results of the conciliation procedure, including the record of the vote by the delegation on the conclusion of the conciliation procedure. The College of Commissioners adopts Commission proposals by written procedure (without discussion) or oral procedure (with discussion). The lower number of proposals reflects the Juncker Commission’s conscious decision at the start of the term that it “would be doing less, but (...) more effectively”. It acts by a qualified majority (except for dossiers in respect of which the Treaty requires unanimity). If either Parliament or Council reject the text, or do not approve it in time, the procedure ends without the adoption of legislation. The Council does not produce any official document. Pan-European co-operation is essential to get a proposal rejected by the European Parliament This article aims to explain how you can plan to achieve that. At the sitting of 19 November 1998, Parliament delivered its opinion at first reading on the proposal for a Council regulation (EC) on the European Regional Development Fund. Council can: accept the Parliament’s position, in which case the legislative act is adopted; or adopt changes to Parliament's position, leading to a Council's first reading position, which is sent to Parliament for a second reading. If there is disagreement between a responsible and associated committee about competence, the Conference of Presidents may rule on which competence lies where, or it may opt for joint committee meetings if it falls equally within the competence of both. Members of the delegation monitor the progress of the conciliation procedure on an ongoing basis at successive meetings.