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National parliaments' active participation in EU affairs and enhanced scrutiny of their national governments are instrumental in ensuring the democratic accountability and legitimacy of the EU institutional system. However, despite the inclusion of national parliaments in the text of the Treaties, their ability to impact EU affairs remains generally limited. Nevertheless, national parliaments are willing to play a more active role in EU affairs by being more closely involved in the substance of EU ...

This background analysis focusses on relevant issues to be taken into account in the discussions on the Proposal for a European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), especially from a media law perspective. Dealing with questions on the appropriate legal basis and coherence with the existing regulatory framework, as well as selected substantive issues and the proposed institutional structures, the analysis highlights possible shortcomings regarding practical impact and enforcement that should be addressed.

Decentralisation, and implementation of the principle of subsidiarity, are at the heart of both EU accession negotiations with the Western Balkan countries and their accession-related reforms. As the region's six countries differ in population size, territory and history, their decentralisation models differ from each other as well. The European Commission and the European Parliament are closely monitoring these countries' overall progress in multi-level governance and in the implementation of the ...

Since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty (2009), the EU national parliaments have had the right to control the principle of subsidiarity through the Early Warning System (EWS). This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the JURI Committee, examines how the EWS has worked over the past 12 years. It also looks into the interaction of the European Commission, local and regional entities, the Committee ...

This study analyses the clarity and adaptability of EU environmental law and how these could be improved by means of regulatory options, by looking at four core EU environmental directives, in the field of water, air, nature and waste. Recommendations are made to improve the effectiveness of environmental law in European Union The research has been prepared at the request of the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs as asked by the Committee on ...

The markets in crypto assets (MiCA) proposal intends to adapt to the latest technological trends in the FinTech sector. The briefing analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the impact assessment (IA) accompanying the MiCA and DLT proposals. The IA is quite technical and difficult to read for a non-expert. The policy options were compared against the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency and coherence, but not against proportionality, which is required by the better regulation guidelines. The preferred ...

According to the Portuguese Constitution adopted in 1976, Portugal is a semi-presidential Republic and a parliamentary democracy. It is a unitary state which also includes two autonomous regions (the Azores and Madeira archipelagos) with their own political and administrative statutes and self-governing institutions (Article 6 of the Constitution). The Constitution of the Third Republic created a single representative body: the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República). The Assembly exercises ...

The principle of subsidiarity requires decisions to be taken at the lowest practical level of government without, however, jeopardising mutually beneficial cooperation at the supranational level. Recent decades have seen efforts to strengthen the subsidiarity principle in EU law, including the introduction of the well-known early warning mechanism (EWM) for national parliaments. At the same time, the principle of subsidiarity remains a contested notion. This has important implications for the regulatory ...

Moves towards closer European integration have altered the role of the national parliaments. A number of instruments for cooperation between the European Parliament and the national parliaments have been introduced with a view to guaranteeing effective democratic scrutiny of European legislation at all levels. This trend has been reinforced by provisions introduced by the Lisbon Treaty.

The Committee of the Regions is made up of 350 members representing the regional and local authorities of the 28 Member States of the European Union. It issues opinions sought on the basis of mandatory (as required by the Treaties) and voluntary consultation and, where appropriate, own-initiative opinions. Its members are not bound by any mandatory instructions. They are independent in the performance of their duties, in the European Union’s general interest.