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The most important powers of the European Parliament fall into three categories:
fÞ legislative power
fÞ power over the budget
fÞ supervision of the executive
Legislative Power
Originally, the Treaty of Rome (1957) gave the Parliament only a consultative role, allowing the Commission to propose and the Council of Ministers to decide legislation. Subsequent Treaties have extended Parliament¡¦s influence to amending and even adopting legislation so that the Parliament and Council now share the power of decision in a large number of areas.
1. The consultation procedure requires an opinion from the Parliament before a legislative proposal from the Commission can be adopted by the Council. This applies, for example, to agricultural price review.
2. The cooperation procedure allows Parliament to improve proposed legislation by amendment. It involves two readings in Parliament, giving members ample opportunity to review and amend the Commission¡¦s proposal and the Council¡¦s position.
This procedure applies to a large number of areas including the European Regional Development Fund, research, the environment and overseas cooperation and development.
3. The co-decision procedure shares decision-making power equally between the Parliament and the Council. A conciliation committee - made up of equal numbers of Members of Parliament and of the Council, with the Commission present - seeks a compromise on a text that the Council and Parliament can both subsequently endorse.
Co-decision procedure applies to a wide range of issues such as the free movement of workers, consumer protection, education, culture, health and trans-European networks.
4. Parliament¡¦s agreement is required for important international agreements such as the accession of new Member States, association agreements with third countries, the organization and objectives of the Structural and Cohesion Funds and the Tasks and powers of the European Central Bank.
Budgetary Powers
The European Parliament approves the Union¡¦s budget each year. The budgetary procedure allows Parliament to propose modifications and amendments to the Commission¡¦s initial proposals and to the position taken by the Council. On agricultural spending and costs arising from international agreements the Council has the last word, but on other expenditure - for example, education, social programmes, regional funds, environmental and cultural projects - Parliament decides in close cooperation with the Council.
Supervision of the Executive
The Parliament exercises overall political supervision of the way the Union¡¦s policies are conducted. Executive power in the Union is shared between the Commission and the Council of Ministers and their representatives appear regularly before Parliament.
Parliament and Commission
Parliament has an important role every five years in appointing the President and members of the Commission. It exercises detailed scrutiny through a close examination of the many monthly and annual reports which the Commission is obliged to submit to the Parliament. Members may also put written and oral questions to the Commission and they regularly interrogate Commissioners at Question Time during plenary sessions and at meetings of parliamentary committees.
If the worse comes to the worst (which has never yet occurred), Parliament can pass a motion of censure on the Commission and force it to resign.
Parliament and Council
The President in office of the Council presents his or her Programme at the beginning of a presidency and gives an account of it to Parliament at the end of that period. He or she also reports on the results of each European Council and on progress in the development of foreign and security policy.
Ministers attend plenary sessions and take part in Question Time and in important debates. They must also respond to written questions.
At the beginning of each meeting of the European Council, the President of Parliament presents the institution¡¦s main positions on the topics to be discussed by the Heads of State or Government. His speech often sets the tone for the important discussion of the day.
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