College of Europe: National Parliaments and their Role in European Integration

06 February 2013

The Department for Political and Administrative Studies has published a new 'Bruges Political Research Paper', entitled "National Parliaments and their Role in European Integration: The EU's Democratic Deficit in Times of Economic Hardship and Political Insecurity".

The paper describes and assesses the role of national parliaments in EU legislation considering the reforms introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. This is closely connected with the understanding and (political) application of the principle of subsidiarity.

After an analysis of the possibilities and limitations of the relevant legal regulations in the post-Lisbon age, alternative ways for participation of national legislators on the European level are being scrutinised and proposed. The issue of democratic legitimisation is also interconnected with the current political reforms being discussed in order to overcome the euro crisis.

Finally, the authors argue that it does not make sense to include national parliaments in the existing legislative triangle of the EU, but instead to promote the creation of a new kind of supervisory body.

Full paper


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