The recent empowerment of the European Parliament makes this a timely study of the impact of its internal organisation on legislative politics, interest representation and democracy within the Union. Using data on all legislators and legislative proposals in the sixth parliamentary term, the book confronts alternative theories of legislative organisation in rigorous statistical analyses supported by rich interview information. The findings indicate that the internal setup and legislative output of the parliamentary committees serve the policy goals of parties in the European Parliament, and in particular the working majority party, rather than special interests or purely informational needs, which the author explains with the formal and informal parliamentary rules. As the committees advance party politics instead of particularistic policies, she concludes that legislating within the committees is positive for democracy in the European Union and raises concerns about the loss in transparency, legitimacy and accountability that the increasingly common fast-track bicameral decision-making outside the committees entails.

This book analyzes the development of the European Parliament’s (EP) committees and their relationship with national political parties in the light of the EP’s increased legislative role over the last three decades. The book argues that national parties have a greater incentive to care about what goes on in the EP given the growth in its legislative power. Because most of the EP’s detailed legislative work takes place in its committees, national parties should be concerned about their involvement with the EP’s committee system. Based on extensive original research, this book shows how the EP’s committees have changed over time in response to legislative empowerment and analyzes how national parties and individual MEPs use the committee system to further their policy goals. The book makes a theoretical contribution by providing an explanation for the variation in powers of committees between separated and fused systems of government and by adapting theories of legislative organization developed in the context of the US Congress, to the EP. The European Parliament’s Committees will be of interest to students and scholars studying the European Parliament, EU institutions, policy-making, and the development of legislatures and political parties.

This book explains the state of the art in the European Parliament. It considers the future options available to the Parliament and the kinds of reform that it is likely to seek, and examines the historical evolution of the Groups within the Parliament.

Parliaments had been expected to decline in significance at the end of the 20th century, but instead they have developed new and vital political roles and have innovated their institutional structure in parliamentary committees, not only in a few parliaments, but as a global phenomenon.

Committees are a pervasive presence in the EU policy process yet little is known about the way in which they operate. This volume, newly available in paperback, brings together an international group of experts from a number of disciplinary backgrounds to provide a comprehensive account of the role played by committees in the European Union.The book looks at committees in the context of inter-institutional relations, a focus based on the recognition that the relationships between Commission, Council, Parliament and national authorities - rather than the institutions themselves - are crucial to the understanding of European policy-making. Much of that interaction is regularised in various kinds of committees and the book provides an in-depth analysis of the nature and the effects of 'committee governance' in the EU system. A number of case studies (monetary, policy, trade, environment, spatial planning and foreign policy) examine the role of committees in specific areas. These are framed by broader perspectives which provide theoretical, statistical and normative analyses of the phenomenon of committee governance.

The book addresses the question of how and where EU decisions are taken. There are about 1000 decisions each year. The Commission's legislative programme is limited, 16 proposals in 1997, 31 in 1998, therefore the great majority are taken elsewhere mainly in committees. Business is becoming increasingly aware of the role and influence of committees but increasingly frustrated because they are so 'secretive'. Committees do not publish their membership, agendas or minutes. This research will aim to shed some light on the process.

This publication, also known as the Grey List, is the full official listing of all members of the European Parliament (MEPs), with a range of information including: political group and party, committees and delegations served on, member state represented, and contact details. Other sections contain information on: the Office of the President, the Secretariat, political groups, committees and delegations.

This volume discusses how national parliaments have adapted to the effects of the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty.

In several languages. Dated 13.03.2003. - Also known as the Grey List