IS THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT A PARLIAMENT?*

In: European journal of political research: official journal of the European Consortium for Political Research, Band 6, Heft 2, S. 157-180

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe paper considers the powers, or more correctly the lack of powers, of the European Parliament. Attention is focused on the legislative powers of the Parliament; its financial powers following the revision of Article 203 of the Treaty of Rome; and its control, or oversight, powers. Comparisons are made between the powers of the European Parliament and those of the national parliaments of the European Community's nine Member States. The detailed examination of the powers of the European Parliament reveals that in no widely accepted comparative sense can it be considered a parliament as it fails to meet a series of basic political, constitutional, and decision‐making requirements concerning the performance of legislative, financial, and control functions.