The European Parliament and the EU’s Policy-Making Process

Abstract

The parliamentary dimension of the EU has undergone frequent far-reaching changes since the beginnings of European integration. Although the European Parliament (EP) holds today a powerful position in EU policy-making procedures, its role is far from fixed with regard to its parliamentary powers in a variety of policy areas. The contributions to this panel shed light on such areas in which the Members of the EP (MEPs) continuously seek to extend their institution’s influence, namely external migration policy and economic governance. The contributions focus furthermore on structures and procedures within the EP through which MEPs pursue the increase of the EP’s efficiency in policy-making. Cases under examination are different procedures of parliamentary scrutiny, agenda-setting strategies through EP resolutions, and especially influential roles such as rapporteurships and committee chairmanships. The panel furthermore compares the European parliamentary dimension to the role played by national parliaments in policy-making processes, amongst others within federal systems. Based on its contributions, this panel will add new insights into the EP’s permanently developing role in EU policy-making.