Since their introduction in 1999, first-reading agreements under the EU’s codecision procedure have increased dramatically, from 28% in the 5th EP to 77% in the on-going legislative period. Early agreements have been praised for their efficiency and inter-institutional compromise; at the same time, actors inside and outside Parliament have criticised their lack of transparency and visible political contestation.
Currently, the EP’s Constitutional Affairs Committee is reviewing the rules of co-legislation at first reading, originally adopted in 2009. Intervening at a crucial moment in the reform debate, this event launches a new CEPS publication by Lukas Obholzer (LSE) and Christine Reh (UCL). The policy brief critically assesses both the status quo and the suggested reforms against the benchmarks of efficient law-making, transparent legislation, and visible and inclusive deliberation. Given Parliament’s role as a guarantor of EU legitimacy, the brief puts a premium on inclusiveness and transparency and suggests a set of rules designed to maintain efficiency for technical proposals, facilitate effective decision-making on urgent files, and strengthen the overall legitimacy of legislative decision-making in the EU.