Annual legislative planning in the EU

Summary:

Annual legislative programming in the EU involves the Commission, Parliament and Council. Although the right of legislative initiative remains monopolised by the Commission, the input of Parliament and the Council to EU legislative programming is increasingly acknowledged. Article 17(1) of the Treaty on European Union vests in the Commission competence with respect to annual programming. Thus, the central document for annual legislative and non-legislative policy programming is the Commission's annual work programme, adopted each year in October following political exchanges between the Commission, Parliament and Council. The legal framework for preparation of the work programme, including the role of Parliament in EU agenda-setting, is laid down in interinsititutional agreements: on relations between Parliament and the Commission, and on better law making. These state that the Commission should strive to include Parliament's suggestions in its legislative and non-legislative agenda. The agreements lay down a detailed framework for preparation of the Commission's annual work programme, with specific rules on the involvement of Parliament bodies – the committees, Conference of Presidents, Conference of Committee Chairs – and on the role of the Council in the process. Following the adoption of the Commission's annual work programme each October, the three institutions involved in the legislative process negotiate with a view to adopting a joint declaration in December on their jointly agreed legislative priorities. This briefing complements the overview of the Commission work programme, provided each year jointly by the Ex-Ante Impact Assessment and Ex-Post Evaluation Units of EPRS.

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