Democracy in the EU After the Lisbon Treaty
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
2 The entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, on December 1 2009, D IAI Research Papers The IAI Research Papers are brief monographs written by one or brought the EU’s troubled institutional reform process to an end. EMOCRACY more authors (IAI or external experts) on current problems of inter- N. 1 European Security and the Future In an eort to increase the EU's democratic legitimacy, the Treaty DEMOCRACY IN THE EU national politics and international relations. The aim is to promote of Transatlantic Relations, introduces some relevant innovations: it extends the powers of greater and more up to date knowledge of emerging issues and edited by Riccardo Alcaro and Erik Jones, 2011 the European Parliament, it enhances the role of European trends and help prompt public debate. IN AFTER THE ISBON REATY L T N. 2 Democracy in the EU after the Lisbon Treaty, political parties, it involves national parliaments increasingly in the THE edited by Raaello Matarazzo, 2011 EU legislative process and, nally, it creates the European Citizens’ EU Initiative, which allows citizens to invite the Commission to submit A non-prot organization, IAI was founded in 1965 by Altiero Spinelli, AFTER legislative proposals that they feel are of crucial importance. its rst director. Nevertheless, the implementation of these provisions will not be The Institute aims to promote understanding of international politics through research, promotion of political ideas and strategies, disse- easy as they impact on, among other things, the EU's institutional THE mination of knowledge and education in the eld of foreign policy. balance. Not only does it remain to be seen how eective they will L ISBON IAI main research sectors are: European institutions and policies; be in bringing EU institutions closer to citizens, but the application Italian foreign policy; trends in the global economy and internationa- of some of these provisions could lead to inter-institutional T lisation processes in Italy; the Mediterranean and the Middle East; conicts and political ambiguities. In this context, the European PAPERS REATY defence economy and policy; and transatlantic relations. Parliament has a key role to play as a political and institutional facilitator, also in promoting more consistent linkages between citizens and the EU institutional system. RAFFAELLO MATARAZZO is Researcher at the Istituto Aari Internazionali RESEARCH (IAI), Adjunct Professor in Government and Politics of Western Europe at the St. John’s University of New York’s Rome Campus IAI and editor-in-chief of the IAI webzine AarInternazionali. Raaello Matarazzo Edited by Raffaello Matarazzo Istituto Affari Internazionali (Rome) Centro Studi sul Federalismo (Turin) Notre Europe (Paris) www.nuovacultura.it 13.00 EURO IAI Research Papers Democracy in the EU after the Lisbon Treaty Edited by Raffaello Matarazzo Istituto Affari Internazionali (Rome) Centro Studi sul Federalismo (Turin) Notre Europe (Paris) Edizioni Nuova Cultura Acknowledgements This volume has been made possible by funding from the Compagnia di San Paolo of Turin. Series Editor Natalino Ronzitti _________________________ First published 2011 by Edizioni Nuova Cultura For Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) Via Angelo Brunetti 9 - I-00186 Roma www.iai.it Copyright © 2011Edizioni Nuova Cultura - Roma ISBN: 9788861347168 Cover: by the author Graphic Composition: by the author The unauthorized reproduction of this book, even partial, carried out by any means, including photocopying, even for internal or didactic use, is prohibited by copyright. Contents List of Contributors ........................................................................................................................ 7 List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 11 Gianni Bonvicini 1. European Political Parties: The Missing Link ........................................................ 15 Julian Priestley Introduction: European parties, seven years on .................................................. 15 1. The 2009 European Elections .................................................................................. 19 2. The division of the spoils ........................................................................................... 23 3. Outside the formal structures .................................................................................. 27 4. Political parties - consolidating enlargement ................................................... 29 5. The parties and public opinion ................................................................................ 29 6. Four modest reforms ................................................................................................... 31 7. Can we? .............................................................................................................................. 40 2. National Parliaments after the Lisbon Treaty: A New Power Player or Mr. No in the EU Decision Making? ....................................................................... 43 Raffaello Matarazzo Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 43 1. Democratic legitimacy and accountability: a new role for NPs ................ 45 2. The Lisbon Treaty provisions .................................................................................. 47 3. The four domains of NPs participation at EU level ......................................... 51 4. Concluding remarks ..................................................................................................... 62 3. The European Citizens’ Initiative: Challenges and Perspectives .................. 65 Salvatore Aloisio, Giorgio Grimaldi, Umberto Morelli, Antonio Padoa-Schioppa Introduction. Democracy in the European Union (EU): General remarks .................................................................................................................................. 65 5 CONTENTS 1. The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ............................................................... 73 2. The European Commission’s proposal for a regulation of the ECI ......... 85 3. ECIs: suggestions and outlook ................................................................................. 91 4. Critical analysis of the European Commission’s regulation proposal and the debate in progress .......................................................................................... 129 5. Concluding remarks .................................................................................................. 139 4. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 151 Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa Programme of the Workshop, Turin, November 3, 2010 ........................................ 155 List of participants .................................................................................................................... 157 6 List of Contributors SALVATORE ALOISIO, Professor, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia GIANNI BONVICINI, Executive Vice-President, Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome GIORGIO GRIMALDI, Professor, University of Valle d’Aosta RAFFAELLO MATARAZZO, Researcher, Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome and Adjunct Professor, St. John’s University of New York, Rome Campus UMBERTO MORELLI, Director, Centro Studi sul Federalismo, Turin, and Professor, University of Turin ANTONIO PADOA-SCHIOPPA, President, Centro Studi sul Federalismo, Turin and Professor, University of Milan TOMMASO PADOA-SCHIOPPA, President, Notre Europe, Paris JULIAN PRIESTLEY, Member of the Board, Notre Europe, Paris 7 List of Abbreviations AFCO Committee on Constitutional Affairs (European Parliament) CDU Christlich Demokratische Union (Christian Democratic Un- ion, Germany) CFSP Common Foreign and Security Policy CJEU Court of Justice of the European Union (see also ECJ) CODAC Conference of Defence Affairs Committees COFACC Conference of Foreign Affairs Committee Chairpersons CoR Committee of Regions COREPER Committee of Permanent Representatives COSAC Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees CSDP Common Security and Defence Policy CSU Christlich-Soziale Union (Christian Social Union, Germany) EC European Commission ECAS European Citizen Action Service ECHR European Court of Human Rights ECI European Citizens’ Initiative ECJ European Court of Justice (see also CJEU) EESC European Economic and Social Committee EFA European Free Alliance EFD Europe of Freedom and Democracy EGTC European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation ELDR European Liberal Democrat and Reform ENoP European Network of Political Foundations EP European Parliament EPP European People’s Party EU European Union EUDO European Union Democracy Observatory 9 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EURATOM European Atomic Energy Community GM Genetically Modified GUE European United Left ID Identity Document IPEX Interparliamentary EU Information Exchange IT Information Technology LA Local Authority MEP Member of the European Parliament MMM Monday Morning Meeting MS Member States NGL Nordic Green Left NGO Non-Governmental Organization NP National Parliament PES Party of European Socialists PETI Committee on Petitions (European Parliament) PvdA Partij