European Union constitutional law

Press release - Rule of Law conditionality: Parliament wants investigations launched immediately

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 8, 2021

They also call on the Commission to set out a clear, precise and user-friendly system for submitting complaints under the regulation.

Key Points: 
  • They also call on the Commission to set out a clear, precise and user-friendly system for submitting complaints under the regulation.
  • The Commission should report to Parliament on the first cases under investigation as soon as possible, they add.
  • Parliament has therefore launched the legal procedure so that the Commission applies the Rule of Law conditionality regulation from autumn onwards, he added.
  • In a resolution adopted in March 2021, Parliament said that the application of the new regulation cannot be subject to any guidelines.

Local leaders to Šefčovič: pandemic highlights the key role of regional and local authorities in assessing and revising EU laws so they address concrete citizens' needs

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 1, 2021

You are here > > News > Local leaders to efovi: pandemic highlights the key role of regional and local authorities in ass...

Key Points: 
  • You are here > > News > Local leaders to efovi: pandemic highlights the key role of regional and local authorities in ass...
    Click here to get an automatic translation of the text below.
  • Workprogram; Subsidiarity and proportionality
    funds reach those most affected by the pandemic.
  • Regional and local leaders
    principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.
  • realities on the ground, and a sub-national
    is more effective than the national, regional or local
    levels in tackling certain issues.

RECOMMENDATION FOR SECOND READING on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on streamlining measures for advancing the realisation of the trans-European transport[...]

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 30, 2021

on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on streamlining measures for advancing the realisation of the trans-European transport network

Key Points: 
  • on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on streamlining measures for advancing the realisation of the trans-European transport network

    (10537/1/2020 C90215/2021 2018/0138(COD))

    (Ordinary legislative procedure: second reading)

    The European Parliament,

    having regard to the Council position at first reading (10537/1/2020 C90215/2021),

    having regard to the reasoned opinions submitted, within the framework of Protocol No2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, by the Czech Senate, the German Bundestag, the Irish Parliament and the Swedish Parliament, asserting that the draft legislative act does not comply with the principle of subsidiarity,

    having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 17 October 2018[1],

    having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 7 February 2019[2],

    having regard to its position at first reading[3] on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2018)0277),

    having regard to Article294(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

    having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 74(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    having regard to Rule67 of its Rules of Procedure,

    having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A9-0223/2021),

    1.Approves the Council position at first reading;

    2.Notes that the act is adopted in accordance with the Council position;

    3.Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council, in accordance with Article297(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

    4.Instructs its Secretary-General to sign the act, once it has been verified that all the procedures have been duly completed, and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of the Council, to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

    5.Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

REPORT on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC as regards conferral of implementing powers to the Commission to determine the meaning of the terms used in certain provisions of that Directive - A9-0201/2021

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 23, 2021

on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC as regards conferral of implementing powers to the Commission to determine the meaning of the terms used in certain provisions of that Directive

Key Points: 
  • on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC as regards conferral of implementing powers to the Commission to determine the meaning of the terms used in certain provisions of that Directive

    (COM(2020)0749 C90002/2021 2020/0331(CNS))

    (Special legislative procedure consultation)

    The European Parliament,

    having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2020)0749),

    having regard to Article113 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C90002/2021),

    having regard to the reasoned opinion submitted, within the framework of Protocol No2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, by the Swedish Parliament, asserting that the draft legislative act does not comply with the principle of subsidiarity,

    having regard to Rule 82 of its Rules of Procedure,

    having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (A9-0201/2021),

    1.Approves the Commission proposal;

    2.Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

    3.Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to substantially amend the text approved by Parliament;

    4.Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on cross-border payments in the Union (codification) - A9-0202/2021

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 17, 2021

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on cross-border payments in the Union (codification)

Key Points: 
  • on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on cross-border payments in the Union (codification)

    (COM(2020)0323 C90204/2020 2020/0145(COD))

    (Ordinary legislative procedure codification)

    The European Parliament,

    having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2020)323),

    having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 114(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C9-0204/2020),

    having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

    having regard to the opinion of the European Central Bank of 25 January 2021[1],

    having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 3 December 2020[2],

    having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 December 1994 Accelerated working method for official codification of legislative texts[3],

    having regard to Rules 109 and 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

    having regard to the report of the Committee on Legal Affairs (A9-0202/2021),

    A.whereas, according to the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, the proposal in question contains a straightforward codification of the existing texts without any change in their substance;

    1.Adopts its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal as adapted to the recommendations of the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission;

    2.Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Highlights - Public Hearing on Legislative Power in the EU - 15 June 2021 - Committee on Constitutional Affairs

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, June 8, 2021

During this hearing, AFCO members will reflect on the current legislative process in the EU and on means for improving it.

Key Points: 
  • During this hearing, AFCO members will reflect on the current legislative process in the EU and on means for improving it.
  • Among the issues that AFCO members will debate are Parliament's right of initiative, 'passerelle' clauses for extending the application of the ordinary legislative procedure and qualified majority voting, the transparency in the Council's working methods as legislator and the functioning of the different types of legislative procedures.

REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the extension of the term of Community plant variety rights for the species asparagus and the species groups flower bulbs, woody small fruits and woody ornamenta[...]

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, June 1, 2021

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the extension of the term of Community plant variety rights for the species asparagus and the species groups flower bulbs, woody small fruits and woody ornamentals

Key Points: 
  • on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the extension of the term of Community plant variety rights for the species asparagus and the species groups flower bulbs, woody small fruits and woody ornamentals

    (COM(2021)0036 C90010/2021 2021/0019(COD))

    (Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

    The European Parliament,

    having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2021)0036),

    having regard to Article 294(2) and the first paragraph of Article118 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C90010/2021),

    having regard to Article294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

    having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 24 March 2021[1],

    having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

    having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A9-0171/2021),

    1.Adopts its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal;

    2.Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

    3.Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

RegHub launches consultation on 21st century rules for 21st century infrastructure

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, May 11, 2021

b"10/05/2021 | Subsidiarity and proportionality; REFIT and better law-making\n\xe2\x80\x8b\xe2\x80\x8b\xe2\x80\x8bDuring the 4 March 2021 Plenary session of the European Commission's Fit for Future Platform (F4F), the Platform Chair and Vice-President of the European Commission, Maro\xc5\xa1 \xc5\xa0ef\xc4\x8dovi\xc4\x8d, requested the CoR's RegHub to present a special report on planning and permitting for infrastructure.\nAs part of its recovery and resilience efforts, the EU is getting ready to invest unseen resources in major infrastructure projects.

Key Points: 
  • b"10/05/2021 | Subsidiarity and proportionality; REFIT and better law-making\n\xe2\x80\x8b\xe2\x80\x8b\xe2\x80\x8bDuring the 4 March 2021 Plenary session of the European Commission's Fit for Future Platform (F4F), the Platform Chair and Vice-President of the European Commission, Maro\xc5\xa1 \xc5\xa0ef\xc4\x8dovi\xc4\x8d, requested the CoR's RegHub to present a special report on planning and permitting for infrastructure.\nAs part of its recovery and resilience efforts, the EU is getting ready to invest unseen resources in major infrastructure projects.
  • Since infrastructure projects touch upon the interests and competences of local and regional authorities, evidence from local and regional stakeholders can help identify opportunities to speed up planning and permitting procedures and make them more efficient.\nThe purpose of the consultation is to gather experiences and evidence from local and regional stakeholders who can testify how EU rules influence planning and permitting on the ground and put forward solutions in its special F4F report to improve the implementation and enforcement of these rules in the context of infrastructure projects.\nPrevious RegHub consultations have highlighted the network's strong potential to gather unique user-experience and data from relevant local and regional stakeholders on the implementation of EU policies.
  • This capacity matches the European Commission's and its Fit for Future Platform's goal to achieve evidence-based policymaking through targeted and inclusive stakeholder consultations.\xe2\x80\x8b\xe2\x80\x8b\n"

Bridging European institutions and citizens: European Citizens' Initiatives must impact the legislative process of the EU

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 5, 2021

It is an instrument of participatory democracy in the EU, allowing citizens to invite the European Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act to implement the EU Treaties.

Key Points: 
  • It is an instrument of participatory democracy in the EU, allowing citizens to invite the European Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act to implement the EU Treaties.
  • Local and regional authorities are therefore natural partners to promote Europen Citizens Initiatives with a territorial impact.
  • CoR First Vice-President Vasco Cordeiro said:"The European Citizens' Initiatives could represent a remarkable tool to improve democracy in the EU.
  • We must always stand by democracy, better legislation and the principle of active subsidiarity.
  • If they are not properly supported, the Citizens' Initiatives risk failing, creating further frustration among citizens and undermining their trust in the EU.
  • Pedro Silva Pereira , Vice-President of the European Parliament in charge of European democracy and European citizens' initiative said; "The European Citizens' Initiative is an important instrument to promote European participation on the legislative process of the Union.
  • The process, introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon, has been subject to several changes in order to make it of easier access, also ensuring more transparency in the decision-making of the EU.
  • Our committees have an important role as intermediaries at EU but also at national, regional and local level."
  • Voters without border, Full Political Rights for EU Citizens is one of the currently 14 on-going ECIs
    (i.e.

Acquis Announces Investment in Venture Company, SSI Strategy, from Amulet Capital Partners

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Doug Locke, SSI CEO says, "A primary contributor to our success has been our partnership with Acquis, enabling us to take a small team and grow at an incredible pace.

Key Points: 
  • Doug Locke, SSI CEO says, "A primary contributor to our success has been our partnership with Acquis, enabling us to take a small team and grow at an incredible pace.
  • We are thrilled at how this has turned into a success story, and we are excited for the continued partnership with Acquis."
  • "Acquis is, and always will remain, a 'People First' company," Joanna Sears, Acquis COO confirmed.
  • Read more about the Amulet Capital Partners investment in SSI Strategy.