Portugal keeps close watch on Brussels

The Portuguese parliament has been by far the most active in commenting on legislative proposals coming out of Brussels, while the parliament of its Iberian neighbour, Spain, has not sent a single remark to the EU capital since the process was put into place in 2006.

The latest figures from the European Commission show that Portuguese MPs have sent 102 comments on draft EU laws and position papers over the past three years – a fifth of the total 505 comments seen from all 27 member states.

The next busiest were the French Senate, with 58 submissions since 2006, the German upper house (48), the Swedish parliament (44) and the British House of Lords (39).

The most active of the former Communist states that joined the EU in 2004 is the Czech Republic, whose senate has submitted 41 remarks.

At the other end of the scale, the parliaments of Spain, Malta and Romania have sent no comments to Brussels. Assemblies in a total of 15 member states have made 10 or less remarks since 2006.

Introduced exactly three years ago, the comment scheme sees the European Commission send its legislative proposals and consultation papers directly to national parliaments when they are published.

The move was supposed to bridge the gap between Brussels and EU citizens, with parliaments asked to look in particular into whether the European Commission really was the best level at which to act (the subsidiarity principle) and whether it was acting proportionately.

National deputies’ opinions are “duly considered” by the commission, but it is not obliged to change its proposals.

 

source: euobserver