Europees Parlement stuurt tien onbehandelde wetsvoorstellen terug naar Europese Commissie (en)

Parliament will take up many of the uncompleted legislative items from the previous Parliamentary term. In ten cases, however, the EP political group leaders have decided to ask the Commission to either withdraw the proposals or present fresh draft proposals to Parliament.

As a rule, all unfinished business in Parliament lapses at the last part-session before the elections.  However, to ensure continuity and prevent unnecessary delays in the legislative process, the new Parliament may choose to take up items at the stage reached in the previous term.

A thorough analysis of pending legislation

The committees, at the request of President Jerzy Buzek i, have analysed all the unfinished legislative items from the last term, based on the contents of the dossiers and on the new political balance in Parliament.  Their recommendations have now had final approval from the Conference of Presidents, which is made up of the EP President and the political group leaders.  In all, some 200 dossiers were considered, at all various stages of the co-decision, consultation and assent procedures; this process is most significant for the 55 which had yet to come to a plenary vote in Parliament. 

Ten proposals sent back

Ten legislative proposals, considered the Employment, Environment, Legal Affairs, Civil Liberties, Fisheries and Regional Development Committees, will be sent back to the Commission with a view to withdrawal or replacement – there is a link to the full list below. In addition, at the next plenary session, Parliament’s agenda includes a proposal formally to reject a draft law on working time for persons with road transport activities.

If the Lisbon treaty comes into force, a further number of dossiers might be affected. In this case, the Commission would need to present modified proposals.

MEPs to follow up unheeded calls for new draft laws

The committees have also drawn up lists of subjects on which the previous Parliament called on the Commission to present legislative proposals but the Commission did not so far do so. These issues may well be raised during the hearings for the next team of Commissioners-designate.