The new Rules of Procedure of the EU Parliament came into force on July 16th 2024, just in time for the start of the new legislative period. The Conference of Presidents had set up a cross-party Working Group to develop reform proposals. In April 2024, the Parliament’s plenary adopted the changes.

Powers of the EU Parliament: legislation, democratic scrutiny, budget
As co-legislator, the EU Parliament negotiates and adopts laws (directives, regulations) together with the Council based on proposals by the EU Commission and participates in the conclusion of international agreements. It also monitors the other EU institutions and has scrutiny powers with regard to the Commission and the Council. It also draws up the EU budget together with the Council and approves the multiannual financial framework. The EU Parliament also plays an important role in forming the new Commission after the EU elections: It elects the President of the EU Commission and approves (or rejects) the Commission as a whole after hearing all candidates for the position as future Commissioners. The powers of the EU Parliament are laid down in the EU treaties, while the rules governing its organisation and its ways of working are contained in the Rules of Procedure. The fact that the EU Parliament has no right of initiative in the EU legislative process is seen by many as a democratic deficit. AK is in favour of a right of initiative for the EU Parliament; however, this would require an amendment of the treaties.

Legislative procedure and more liveliness in plenary sessions
Parliament statements are a new instrument introduced in the new Rules of Procedure. The EU Parliament will be able to use them to set out its position in a similar way to resolutions, but without having to respond to statements of the Council or the Commission.

There are also changes regarding the legislative procedure. If two or more parliamentary Committees are responsible for one topic, either the Joint Committee Procedure or the Opinion Procedure (main responsibility of one Committee, opinions by other Committees) may apply as before. In addition to that, there is now the option of setting up a Temporary Legislative Committee, if a comprehensive topic falls within the responsibility of more than three Committees.

Increased scrutiny powers
Another notable innovation is the opportunity for the EU Parliament to convene special scrutiny hearings regarding topics of major political importance with one or more Commissioners on short notice. Usually, questions which are subject to a debate with the Commission in the EU Parliament need to be submitted a week in advance. Furthermore, as a general rule once a plenary session, a special Question Time with the President of the Commission or selected Commissioners without a predetermined topic, in addition to the theme-specific Question Times, is introduced. The EU Parliament’s scrutiny powers are thus strengthened.

The S&D Group's demand for the power to bring in company directors to parliamentary hearings did not receive a majority and was therefore not included in the new Rules of Procedure. In the past, the EU Parliament has failed multiple times in its effort to invite representatives of Amazon to a hearing about the company’s working conditions. As a result of this lack of willingness to cooperate, Amazon lobbyists have been banned from entering the EU Parliament until further notice.

Parliament’s role in the event of crisis
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU set up the NextGenerationEU recovery plan totalling €750 billion (at 2018 prices) in the last legislative period, financed by joint EU borrowing. The so-called “emergency article” of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Article 122 TFEU) was used as the legal basis. In this case, the Council adopts the relevant legislative acts proposed by the EU Commission, without the EU Parliament’s involvement.

A study commissioned by the EU Parliament concludes that this legal basis was rightly used. In the future, however, the EU Parliament will be more closely involved. An additional procedural step for the establishment of crisis mechanisms in accordance with Article 122 TFEU was already introduced in 2020 (the budgetary scrutiny procedure). In the future, the President of the EU Commission will have to make statements to the EU Parliament on legislative acts pursuant to Article 122 TFEU.

Election of the EU Commission
Last but not least, a change worth mentioning is introduced regarding the election of the EU Commission. In the run-up to the hearings in the EU Parliament to confirm the Commissioners-designate, the President of the Commission will be asked to provide details on the planned structure, portfolios, responsibilities and gender balance in order to make the procedure more transparent. The EU member states are currently proposing predominantly male candidates for the Commission 2024 - 2029. However, whether this will be the final composition of the Commission ultimately also depends on the hearings in the EU Parliament.

Further information
EU Parliament: Rules of Procedure for the 10th Parliamentary Term
EU Parliament: Compendium of the main legal acts related to the Rules of Procedure
EU Parliament: Correlation Table for the Rules of Procedure of the 9th and 10th Parliamentary Term
EU Parliament: Parliament 2024 – ambitious reforms to strengthen European democracy
AK EUROPA: Amendments of the EU Treaties. For a more democratic and social Union!