The European Parliament’s new Rules of Procedure: Parliament 2024 reforms

Summary:

The European Parliament's new Rules of Procedure entered into force on 16 July 2024 – the first day of Parliament's 10th term. The 'Parliament 2024' reforms sought primarily to streamline legislative procedures, enhance budgetary control and improve scrutiny of the Commission. The reforms have tackled conflicts of committee competences to expedite the attribution of files to committees. To address cases of cross-cutting issues falling within the competence of more than three committees, the Conference of Presidents (CoP) can propose the setting up of a temporary legislative committee, as a last resort. Use of the urgent procedure in plenary is limited to clearly justified cases, but committees will have greater possibilities to adopt reports using simplified or accelerated procedures. There are also new rules on co-rapporteurship that will allow for up to three co-rapporteurs, as an exceptional measure. All proposals with budgetary implications will undergo a specific budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets, to ensure that Parliament uses its legislative and budgetary powers as effectively as possible. In addition, the Budgetary Control Committee will be involved in the consideration of any proposals involving non-traditional (i.e. 'off-budget') financial instruments, in anticipation of the discharge procedure. A new format for 'special scrutiny hearings' will enable Parliament 'to question one or more Commissioners on an issue of major political importance'. The rules for hearings of the Commissioners-designate (renamed 'confirmation hearings') have been clarified in time for the hearings of the new set of commissioners-designate scheduled for autumn 2024. The reforms also affect plenary, with new speaking-time attribution rules and the creation of a new plenary debate format.

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