Codecision

The codecision procedure was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty on European Union (1992), and extended and made more effective by the Amsterdam Treaty (1999).

• Codecision gives the same weight to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on a wide range of areas (for example, transport, the environment and consumer protection). Two thirds of European laws are adopted jointly by the European Parliament and the Council.
  
  
• The Commission sends its proposal to Parliament and the Council.
  
  • They consider it, and discuss it on two successive occasions.
  • After two readings, if they cannot agree, the proposal is brought before a Conciliation Committee made up of an equal number of representatives of the Council and Parliament.
  • Representatives of the Commission also attend the meetings of the Conciliation Committee and contribute to the discussions.
  • When the Committee has reached agreement, the text agreed upon is sent to Parliament and the Council for a third reading, so that they can finally adopt it as a legislative text.
  • The final agreement of the two institutions is essential if the text is to be adopted as a law.
  • Even if a joint text is agreed by the Conciliation Committee, Parliament can still reject the proposed law by an absolute majority of its members.