Leaders agree on reform package

Leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups have agreed to a limited package of reforms proposed by President Josep Borrell, which are designed to raise the assembly’s profile and focus its debates on major issues of the day.

The package, which was unanimously agreed on 28 September, includes additional sessions in Brussels on a Wednesday to allow the assembly to react to major new initiatives from the European Commission. The extra meeting is intended to allow the Parliament to step up its monitoring of the Commission’s activities.

Other measures include an annual orientation debate by group leaders on political priorities, an annual strategic debate to match political priorities with financial resources, new rules on Parliament’s delegations to third countries and a more strategic approach to own-initiative reports.

But the package does not include a commitment to organise debates in plenary sessions according to the "catch the eye" principle, which would mean that MEPs indicated their desire to speak in a debate rather than the order of speakers being pre-determined by the group’s leadership. Supporters of this approach believe it would make debates more exciting and break the stranglehold of the large groups like the European People’s Party (EPP-ED) and the Socialists.

Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), welcomed the deal but said his group would continue to push for further reform. "The package of measures agreed last week is a step in the right direction but still falls short of what the Parliament needs to do to make itself more relevant to the public," he said.

ALDE MEPs are still considering whether to put up a candidate against EPP-ED leader Hans-Gert Pöttering in the election for a new Parliament president or to support him in return for a pledge for further Parliamentary reform.

Leaders of the European Parliament’s political groups have agreed to a limited package of reforms proposed by President Josep Borrell, which are designed to raise the assembly’s profile and focus its debates on major issues of the day.