What next for the European Parliament?

Book abstract:

In this second volume in the Federal Trust Series on the Future of European Parliamentary Democracy, author Andreas Maurer examines the workings of the European Parliament and suggests a programme of improvements. In particular, the paper focuses on the options facing the European Parliament during its new term from 1999 to 2004. Maurer's work is based on a detailed study of the co-decision, cooperation and consultation procedures in which Parliament finds itself involved. The battle for control of executive authority in the European Union is highlighted. He points out the deficiencies and the strengths of the present set-up and makes proposals as to how the Parliament's enhanced powers under the Treaty of Amsterdam can best be exploited. He suggests a programme of reform to the working conditions, rules and procedures of the Parliament as well as to the European Parliament's conduct of the critical relationships with the Council and Commission.

Andreas Maurer is Research Fellow at the Jean Monnet Chair of the Institute for Political Science and European Affairs at the University of Cologne and Project Fellow of the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA), Brussels.

Federal Trust books are distributed in the UK by Kogan Page.