The role of national parliaments in the European Union - 9th report of session 2013-14 (Paperback)

In this report the European Union Committee calls for a greater role for national parliaments in EU decision-making, including the introduction of a 'Green Card' procedure to enable a group of national parliaments to work together to propose new EU legislation or amend existing European law. The report also says that national parliaments, working together, should have the right to require proposed EU legislation to be withdrawn or substantially amended. Greater cooperation between national parliaments and early engagement by national parliaments with the European Commission form key themes in the report. The report also calls for a strengthening of the existing 'Yellow Card' process which enables national parliaments to ask the European Commission to think again. The scope of Yellow Cards should be expanded to include proportionality concerns over measures that go beyond what is necessary to achieve EU treaty objectives. Other recommendations: need to avoid ever greater democratic deficit when closer eurozone integration and control of domestic economic policy of eurozone member states is directed by central EU institutions; give national parliaments a greater role in scrutinising proposals for 'Genuine Economic and Monetary Union' (GEMU); effective scrutiny of the EU by national parliaments is vital to ensuring there is legitimacy and accountability for actions of the EU; national parliaments should work more closely with the European Parliament including closer working between national parliamentary committees and European Parliament committees where appropriate; COSAC, the body which brings together EU committees of national parliaments, can play a valuable role in sharing expertise.