MEPs adopt report on the implementation of the "Parliament 2024" reform.

On 10 April 2024, MEPs adopted the report on the implementation of the recommendations of the parliamentary working group "Parliament 2024" with 429 votes in favour, 148 against and 47 abstentions. The working group was set up on 18 January 2023 by the Conference of Presidents (consisting of the President of the European Parliament and the parliamentary group leaders) to develop concrete and implementable reform proposals to strengthen Parliament's internal functioning and its institutional role and capacity to act. The mandate of the working group covered the areas of legislation, control, budgetary functions and controls, plenary and external relations.

The reform package was approved by the Conference of Presidents on 7 December 2023 with the aim of implementing it in full by the end of the legislative period. On this basis, the Conference of Presidents approved the proposed amendments to the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure on 31 January 2024 and forwarded them to the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) with the aim of fully implementing the reform package by the end of the legislative term.

Improving the legislative process

Under the new rules, proposals from the European Commission will be referred to the relevant committees in a simplified manner, which should improve cooperation between the committees and enable legislative work to begin more quickly overall. Furthermore, the Conference of Presidents will have the option of proposing to plenary that a temporary legislative committee be set up to deal with particularly far-reaching matters that fall within the remit of more than three committees (Rule 207a).

Strengthening the institutional role of the European Parliament

The revised Rules of Procedure provide for a new accountability mechanism to strengthen the Parliament's institutional role. This applies with regard to Article 122 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), according to which the European Commission can submit proposals for decisions to the Council to deal with serious difficulties in the Member States, for example in the event of natural disasters or an interruption in the supply of certain goods. Although this article was originally intended to be used only in certain exceptional situations, the Commission is increasingly citing it. Accordingly, the application of the article is to be monitored more closely by Parliament in future (Article 133a).

Increased parliamentary scrutiny of the European Commission

Among other things, MEPs voted in favour of the introduction of special hearings at short notice, at which members of the Commission can be questioned on an issue of major political importance (Article 135a). In addition, the reforms provide for a special monitoring meeting to be held once per session with the President of the Commission or selected members of the Commission without a predetermined topic. The procedure for confirmation hearings for designated members of the Commission will also be simplified and made more flexible.

Parliament's role as budgetary and discharge authority

MEPs voted in favour of a close link between Parliament's legislative and budgetary work to ensure complete alignment of political and budgetary objectives. All legislative proposals that have an impact on the Union budget are now subject to a budgetary assessment (Article 56a).

Next steps

The new rules will come into force with the first plenary session after the European elections, i.e. on 16 July 2024. The framework agreement between Parliament and the Commission from 2010 must be revised so as to allow implementation of the changes to interinstitutional cooperation. The President of Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has already taken the first steps in this direction.