Contents
Terms of Reference
Summary
1 Introduction
The importance
of European scrutiny and the reasons for this Inquiry
Discussions
on scrutiny since 2005
Discussions
since the 2010 General Election
How the House
of Commons scrutiny process works
The House
of Lords European Union Committee
Comparisons
across the European Union
The National
Parliament Office
2 The role of the European Scrutiny Committee:
examining merits?
3 The role of the European Scrutiny Committee:
stages of scrutiny
Introduction
Committee
consideration of documents
Explanatory
Memoranda
The sift
The scope
of document deposit
The early
stages of policy formulation
Non-papers
Scrutiny
and legislative development
UKRep, Coreper
and decision-making in the Council
Limit
documents
The future
of limité status
Council meetings
Transposition
Conclusion
Non-legislative
acts: challenges for document definition following the Treaty
of Lisbon
Legislative
and non-legislative acts
Common Foreign
and Security Policy and Common Defence and Security Policy proposals
Delegated
and implementing acts
Proposed
new definition of European document for Standing Order No. 143
4 The importance of the scrutiny reserve
Draft European
scrutiny reserve resolution
Draft Resolution
on Title V opt-in and Schengen opt-out scrutiny
5 European Union business on the floor of
the House
Debates on
EU Documents on the floor of the House
Conclusion
A national
veto and disapplication of EU law
European
Council meetings
Post-European
Council statements
Oral Questions
on EU matters
Commission
Work Programme
Draft revised
Standing Order and resolution relating to business on the floor
of the House
6 Departmental Select Committees
Liaison between
the European Scrutiny Committee and Departmental Select Committees
Upstream
engagement
Conclusion
A greater
sense of coherence and prioritisation — Commission Work
Programme
European
Reporters
7 European Committees
History
Conclusions
Membership
Nomenclature
Chairs and
procedures
Motions in
European Committee
Guidance
and advice
Draft revised
form of Standing Order No. 119
8 The visibility of scrutiny and the media
The role
of the media
Reform of
European Scrutiny Committee working practices
Documents
and reports
Engagement
with the European Parliament
The Committee's
informal meetings
Transparency
Pre-appointment
hearings
9 Conclusion
Conclusions and recommendations
Annex 1: Glossary
Acquis
Codecision
procedure/ordinary legislative procedure
Common Foreign
and Security Policy (CFSP)
Common Security
and Defence Policy (CSDP)
Coreper
Council of
the EU
Court of
Justice of the EU
Delegating
and Implementing Acts
European
Commission
European
Council
European
External Action Service
European
Parliament
Explanatory
Memorandum
Green Paper
High Representative
of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Presidency
of the Council of the EU
Qualified
Majority
Subsidiarity
White Paper
Annex 2
Formal minutes
Witnesses
List of written evidence
Oral and written evidence - HC 109-II
Wednesday 31 October 2012: Rt Hon David Lidington MP, Minister for Europe, and Jill Morris, Additional Director, Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Wednesday 28 November 2012: James Brokenshire MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime and Security, Kenny Bowie, Head of the Opt-In and Treaties Team, and Fiona Fraser, Legal Adviser, Home Office
Wednesday 12 December 2012: Dr Katrin Auel, Assistant Professor, Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, Dr Ariella Huff, Postdoctoral Research Associate, and Dr Julie Smith, Senior Lecturer, University of Cambridge
Wednesday 16 January 2013: Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP, Chair of the Liaison Committee, Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, and David T C Davies MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee
Wednesday 6 February 2013: Ric Bailey, Chief Adviser, Politics, Mary Hockaday, Head of Newsroom, BBC, and Peter Knowles, Controller, BBC Parliament
Wednesday 13 February 2013: Ms Gisela Stuart MP
Wednesday 6 March 2013: Chris Bryant MP, Martin Horwood MP, Andrea Leadsom MP, Richard Bacon MP, Chris Heaton-Harris MP and Robert Broadhurst
Wednesday 13 March 2013: David Keighley, Newswatch
Wednesday 24 April 2013: Robin Elias, Managing Editor, ITV News, and John McAndrew, Associate Editor, Sky News
Wednesday 8 May 2013: Sir Jon Cunliffe CB, UK Permanent Representative to the EU, and Simon Manley CMG, Director, Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Wednesday 12 June 2013: Professor Simon Hix, London School of Economics
Thursday 4 July 2013: Rt Hon David Lidington MP, Minister for Europe, Owen Jenkins, Head of Western Balkans Department, and George Hodgson, Head of Parliamentary and Communications Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Wednesday 4 September 2013: Professor Damian Chalmers, Professor of European Union Law, London School of Economics and Political Science
Written evidence - unprinted
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