The European Parliament in the European Semester process
EMU and the role of the EP • Political debate: Priorities of the European Semester, macroeconomic adjustment programmes, imbalance procedure,... POLITICAL SIGNALLING • Co-legislator: financial services (Banking Union) and economic governance (2- Pack, 6-Pack) CODECISION • Oversight/Accountability: Appointment procedures (Commission, president and members of commission) / ECB, EFSI, ...(sometimes limited) Monetary dialogues (Paradox: independence of ECB but stronger accountability than with the Eurogroup and partly the Commission) Economic dialogues / Banking Supervisory hearings
Intergovernmental Agreements- limited role of EP- less legitimacy – Macroeconomic Adjustment Programmes – European Stability Mechanism (ESM), – Fiscal Compact (TSCG)
Legitimacy • Input legitimacy : design of an institution or system (elections of politicians with a certain policy programme for a specific function, decision-making process..etc) Double input legitimacy : Union of people represented by the European Parliament and Union of States represented by the Council of Ministers and double or shared parliamentary legitimacy : ex. European semester: responsibility both at national and at European parliaments. • Output legitimacy : relevance and quality of the institution’s performance (efficiency, achievements) Output legitimacy: Achievement of EU objectives, and new elements management of the Euro (crisis)
EP reports on the European Semester • Since 2012, the ECON committee has adopted two own-initiative reports on the Semester cycle each year : - one adopted in plenary in February , focused on the Annual Growth Survey identifying the priorities of the next Semester cycle; - another one adopted in plenary in October , evaluating the country- specific recommendations, and setting out priorities ahead of the next Semester cycle. - Chairs of Finance committees of EU National Parliaments were invited to discuss, during a normal ECON committee meeting ahead of ECON’s vote, this second report. - Finance Ministers of the Euro Countries are invited such as the Greek FM (Tsacalatos), the German finance minister (Scholz) and the presidency;
The European Semester 7
Democratic control and cooperation with national Parliaments Institutional framework : • EP is the Parliament of the Union (art.14 TEU) • Monetary and Economic dialogues currently in ECON Committee With Single Market, EMU, and “ever closer Union” increased role both of EP and of national parliaments for policies decided at EU level Role of National Parliaments : • Traditional function = hold their governments accountable • Evolving role = democratic accountability at EU level strengthened by Lisbon Treaty: art. 5, art. 10(2), art. 11 and art. 12 TEU
But Crisis led to an increased Intergovernmentalism • More inter-gouvernmental institutions and agreements undermine democratic legitimacy both at national and at EU level Importance of an increased EP/NPs cooperation • Increased interparliamentary cooperation in the field of economic and budgetary policies: European Parliamentary Week (EPW), implementation of Art. 13 of the Fiscal compact (TSCG), and ad-hoc meetings
Alliance of European and National Parliaments • Increased interparliamentary cooperation in the field of economic and budgetary policies: European Parliamentary Week (EPW), implementation of Art. 13 of the Fiscal compact (TSCG), and ad-hoc meetings, • Joint meetings of EP with national parliaments (Bundestag, Finnish, etc..) • Seminar at staff level, etc...
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