Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 11 December 2013 - Strasbourg

Relations between the European Parliament and the institutions representing the national governments (debate)

  Zita Gurmai, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, I would like to thank Alain Lamassoure for his excellent report. It is always a pleasure to work with him.

We have indeed to take stock of the changes that have taken place in practice in recent years, since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty. In the light of the crisis in the mechanism aimed at strengthening financial stability and economic governance, and of the legislative work carried on since the beginning of this term, we have witnessed important changes. In particular, the role of the European Council and of its President has drastically evolved, sometimes beyond what was foreseen in the Treaties.

Therefore, it is important for this Parliament to assess the evolution of the role of the European Council and the changing nature of its relationship with the European Parliament. Working relations between the Council and the European Parliament should therefore be formalised and enhanced. The evolution of the institutional practices we have witnessed with the crisis calls for much more transparency and democratic accountability. This requires more exchanges with the Council, and especially with its President, given the importance his role has taken on. It also requires more open debate and better coordination on both sides, which means getting information sufficiently in advance, which has not always been the case in recent years. Taking into consideration the negotiations on the MFF, I also believe that the proposal included in the report, to extend the tripartite meetings between the Presidents of the institutions beyond budgetary matters, is worth exploring.

Finally, let me underline how important it is for the European Council to clarify how it intends to respect the outcome of the next European elections in appointing the President of the European Commission. Hopefully, they will be here next time.