Codecision procedure

The codecision procedure is the main legislative procedure by which law can be adopted in the European Community, the first of the three pillars of the European Union. The codecision procedure gives the European Parliament the power to adopt legislation jointly with the Council of the European Union, requiring the two bodies to agree on an identical text before any proposal can become law.

The procedure is also known as the "Article 251 procedure", as it is laid down in Article 251 of the EC Treaty. The new Treaty of Lisbon replaces all references to the "procedure referred to in Article 251" with references to the "ordinary legislative procedure". [ [http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/cg00001re01en.pdf Text of the Draft Treaty amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community] ]

Other legislative procedures

The main differences with the other European Union legislative procedures are as follows:

* The (now rarely used) cooperation procedure gives the European Parliament greater influence in the legislative process. The Council can overrule Parliament's rejection of the particular proposal by adopting a proposal unanimously.
* In the consultation procedure, the Council is not bound by Parliament's position or by any other consultative body, but only by the obligation to consult the Parliament.
* The assent procedure is similar to the consultation procedure, except that the Councilcannot overrule a rejection by the Parliament.
* The Lamfalussy process is a four-level legislative approach designed to bring about more transparency, flexibility and accountability through comitology -initially devised for securities, the approach has now been extended to the entire EU financial sector.

Procedural summary

Under the codecision procedure, a new legislative proposal is drafted by the European Commission. The proposal then comes before the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. The two institutions discuss the proposal independently, and each may amend it freely.

In Council, a new proposal is first considered by a working group for that policy area. The conclusion of the working group's discussions is known as the " [http://europa.eu.int/comm/codecision/stepbystep/glossary_en.htm#orientationgenerale orientation generale] ", and usually forms the basis of Council's position at the end of the first reading, which is known as the "common position".

Meanwhile, Parliament appoints one of its members as 'rapporteur' to steer the proposal through its committee stage. The rapporteur is responsible for incorporating the committee's amendments into the draft proposal, as well as the recommendations of the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee. The finished report is then voted on in full plenary, where further amendments may be introduced.

In order for the proposal to become law, Council and Parliament must approve each other's amendments and agree upon a final text in identical terms. If the two institutions have agreed on identical amendments after the first reading, the proposal becomes law; this happens from time to time, either where there is a general consensus or where there is great time pressure to adopt the legislation.

Otherwise, there is a second reading in each institution, where each considers the other's amendments. Parliament must conduct its second reading within three months of Council delivering its common position, or else Council's amendments are deemed to have been accepted, though this time period can be extended by Parliament if it chooses to do so.

If the institutions are unable to reach agreement after the second reading, a conciliation committee is set up with an equal number of members from Parliament and Council. The committee attempts to negotiate a compromise text which must then be approved by both institutions.

Both Parliament and Council have the power to reject a proposal either at second reading or following conciliation, causing the proposal to fall. The Commission may also withdraw its proposal at any time.

Diagram

For a pictorial representation of the codecision procedure, the EU provides [http://ec.europa.eu/codecision/stepbystep/diagram_en.htm this diagram] .

Policy areas where codecision applies

The policy areas where the codecision procedure applies [ [http://europa.eu/institutions/decision-making/index_en.htm How the EU takes decisions ] ] under the current EU treaties are:

*consumer protection
*culture
*customs co-operation
*education
*employment
*equal opportunities and equal treatment
*health
*implementing decisions regarding the European Regional Development Fund
*implementing decisions regarding the European Social Fund
*non-discrimination on the basis of nationality
*preventing and combating fraud
*research
*setting up a data protection advisory body
*social security for migrant workers
*statistics
*the environment
*the fight against social exclusion
*the free movement of workers
*the internal market
*the right of establishment
*the right to move and reside, this including the Schengen rules [cite web |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2004/l_396/l_39620041231en00450046.pdf |title=Council Decision of 22 December 2004 providing for certain areas covered by Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community to be governed by the procedure laid down in Article 251 of that Treaty| language=English |date=2004-12-31 |accessdate=2007-11-25.] The Lisbon Treaty gives the Parliament more power through extended co-decision
*Trans-European Networks
*transparency
*transport
*vocational training

The new Treaty establishing a constitution for Europe, if it enters into force, will extend codecision to virtually all areas of EU policy.

Development of codecision

The introduction of codecision, under the Treaty of Maastricht, almost completely replaced the cooperation procedure and thereby strengthened Parliament's legislative powers considerably.

Initially, the codecision procedure applied to the following areas of European policy:

* consumer policy
* culture (incentive measures)
* education (incentive measures)
* environment (general action programme)
* free movement of workers
* health (incentive measures)
* research (framework programme)
* right of establishment
* services
* the internal market
* trans-European networks (guidelines)

The Treaty of Amsterdam subsequently simplified the procedure, making it quicker and more transparent, and extending it to more areas of policy.

Most recently, the Treaty of Nice established the codecision procedure for any policy area where the Council of Ministers adopts proposals by Qualified Majority Voting (rather than unanimity). The codecision procedure is now by far the most common legislative process in the EU, applying to the vast majority of policy areas.

Criticism

Besides general criticism that the procedure is long and cumbersome, some critics contend that the codecision procedure gives too much power to the Council at the expense of the Parliament. It could be argued that the process is weighted against the Parliament at second reading, as Parliament may only modify or reject amendments from Council by an absolute majority of MEPs, not just those in the chamber at the time.

Defenders reply that the EU is not a federation and argue that national governments should remain accountable for their collective decisions.

ee also

* Cooperation procedure
* Consultation procedure

References

External links

References and official information

* Information from the European Commission:
** [http://europa.eu/eur-lex/en/treaties/dat/C_2002325EN.003301.html#anArt255 Article 251 of the Treaty establishing the European Community]
** [http://ec.europa.eu/codecision/stepbystep/diagram_en.htm Codecision flowchart] and [http://ec.europa.eu/codecision/stepbystep/text/index_en.htm detailed step-by-step description]
* Information from the European Parliament:
** [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/code/information/guide_en.pdf Conciliation and Codecision - A Guide how Parliament co-legislates] (PDF)
** [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/commonpositions/default_en.htm Other articles of the Treaties which are relevant to directives under co-decision]
** [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/commonpositions/default_en.htm Articles related to the Common Position]
* Information from the Council:
** [http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?lang=en&id=447&mode=g&name= The Council's Codecision page] which links to its [http://ue.eu.int/uedocs/cmsUpload/code_EN.pdf Co-decision Guide] (as PDF) it contains a very comprehensive view from the viewpoint of the council
*Information from other institutions:
** [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmeuleg/152-xxxiii/15207.htm#a17 Report from the UK House of Commons Committee on European Scrutiny on the procedure]
** [http://www.lgib.gov.uk/ep2004/procedure.htm The working procedure in the parliament (LGIB)]
*Analysis and History:
** [http://www.integrace.cz/integrace/cislo5/english.htm Codecision: The recent developments]
** Improving the functioning of the codecision procedure ( [http://www.statewatch.org/news/2001/mar/codecision.pdf pdf] , [http://www.statewatch.org/news/2001/mar/codecision.doc doc] )
** [http://eiop.or.at/eiop/texte/2002-003.htm Formal and Informal Institutions under Codecision: Continuous Constitution Building in Europe]
** [http://www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/events/jointsessions/paperarchive/mannheim/w27/Steunenberg.PDF The extension of the codecision procedure in Amsterdam] (PDF)

Other information sources

*Simple [http://www.eurim.org/Eurim2.giftop-down diagram of the codecision procedure] .