Europees Parlement stemt in met hervorming procedures (en)

Amendments to Parliament's Rules of Procedure, taking up changes agreed by the political groups in a third package of reforms to update its internal procedures, were approved by the European Parliament on Wednesday. MEPs also amended the rules of procedure with regard to the choice of the Member chairing the first session of the Parliament after the elections and introduce a blue card system where an MEP can question another MEP during a speech.

These reforms complete a process begun two years ago. The first two packages, adopted in 2007 and 2008, dealt with plenary sessions, EP reports, the legislative process and inter-institutional relations.

The report, drafted by Richard Corbett (PES, UK), was approved by 552 votes in favour,101 against and 51 abstentions. The adopted changes will enter into force at the beginning of next parliamentary term.

The changes approved include reforms to:

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  allow the use of joint committee meetings for complex legislative dossiers that cross committee boundaries,
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  make it mandatory for the Conference of Committee Chairs to give a recommendation to the Conference of Presidents on how to resolve any conflict of competences between committees,
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  generally increase co-operation between committees, notably by enhancing the role of opinion-giving committees;
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  formalise EP s consultation with European civil society,
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  clarify the role of  "intergroups", i.e. unofficial groupings formed on specific issues with Members from different political groups,
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  modify existing rules on debates in plenary,
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  introduce a motion to reject the Commission's proposal in first reading and
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  formalise the negotiating procedure with other EU institutions (e.g. for "first reading" agreements).

New rules on the constitutive session

MEPs also amended the rules of procedure with regard to the choice of the Member chairing the first session of the Parliament after the elections.  According to the new provisions, it is the outgoing EP President to chair the first sitting.  In case he or she is not re-elected, it would be up to an outgoing Vice-President in order of precedence or, failing him or her, the Member having held office for the longest period to hold the office until the new President is elected.

Blue card - MEPs question each other during a speech

MEPs adopted an amendment saying that: "The President may give the floor to Members who indicate, by raising a blue card, their wish to put to another Member, during that Member's speech, a question of no longer than half a minute's duration, where the speaker agrees and where the President is satisfied that this will not lead to a disruption of the debate."

These reforms complete a process begun two years ago, when a working group on EP Reform was proposed by Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering and established under the chairmanship of Dagmar Roth-Behrendt (PES, DE).

The first two packages, adopted in autumn 2007 and autumn 2008, related to the organisation of plenary sessions, the handling of EP reports, the operation of the legislative process and improvements in inter-institutional relations.