Text Adopted at the XXVIII. Conference of Committees for European and Community Affairs of the European Union Parliaments (COSAC) — Brussels, 27 January 2003 — "Copenhagen Parliamentary Guidelines" — Guidelines for relations between governments and Parliaments on Community issues (instructive minimum standards)
Date: 2003-07-02
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: COSAC, access to information, code of conduct, exchange of information, interinstitutional relations, national parliament, parliamentary scrutiny, trade policy

2.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 154/1

I

(Information)

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

TEXT ADOPTED AT THE XXVIII. CONFERENCE OF COMMITTEES FOR EUROPEAN AND COMMUNITY
AFFAIRS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION PARLIAMENTS (COSAC)

Brussels, 27 January 2003

‘COPENHAGEN PARLIAMENTARY GUIDELINES’

Guidelines for relations between governments and Parliaments on Community issues (instructive
minimum standards)

(2003/C 154/01)

I. The European Convention and COSAC

The protocol on the role of national Parliaments, annexed to
the Amsterdam Treaty, points out clearly that each national
parliament's scrutiny of
in relation to
Community activities falls under the particular constitutional
system and practice of the member country in question.

its own government

These three elements are the quantity and quality of
information to the national Parliament,
the timing of
information exchange, and finally the opportunities that the
national Parliaments has to use the information it has received
to gain an influence on Community policy.

The following basic principles can be recommended on the
basis of the above:

The report from the working group on the role of the national
Parliaments (dated 22 October 2002) under The European
Convention contains a recommendation that COSAC should
prepare a code of conduct or guidelines for relations between
governments and Parliaments in connection with Community
issues. The purpose of
the national
Parliaments with the opportunity to scrutinise and have an
influence on governments' Community policy. As stated in
the protocol on national Parliaments it is up to each Parliament
to decide the extent to which the guidelines should be imple-
mented.

this is to provide all

At the COSAC meeting in Copenhagen from 16 to 18 October
2002 these guidelines were referred to as the ‘Copenhagen
Guidelines’, and they enable scrutiny of and insight into the
government's Community policy and Community policy in
general.

In this connection COSAC has decided to indicate certain
instructive principles (or a kind of minimum standard) which
will help to ensure that all national Parliaments have the
opportunity to participate in and have an influence on
Community policy in an active manner.

elements

in relations

Three
and
Parliament can be pointed out which will help to ensure that
the national Parliaments gain an influence on Community
policy.

between government

— the national Parliament shall receive relevant information
on Community initiatives, both from the government and
Community institutions, in good time so that the national
Parliament has
them into
consideration before decisions are made,

an opportunity

to take

— the national Parliament shall have a real opportunity to use
the information received to gain an influence on its own
country's European policy and thereby the
common
decisions made in the Community,

— the national Parliament shall have an opportunity to follow
up on its government's decisions in the Community system.

II. Recommendations on general guidelines (Copenhagen

Parliamentary Guidelines)

The following general guidelines can be recommended on the
basis of the basic principles above:

1. A Member country's government should ensure, in consul-
tation with the Community's institutions, that the national
Parliament receives all Community documents regarding
legislation and other Community initiatives as soon as
they become available.

2. The government should prepare easily accessible, clearly-
for the

worded material on Community legislation, etc.,
national Parliaments.

C 154/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

2.7.2003

Examples:

— the government can regularly forward lists of current Community Bills,
documents for hearings, messages, etc., to the national Parliament,

the Council, summit meetings, and inter-
meetings of
governmental conferences. The national Parliaments should
also subsequently be informed of the decisions made.

— the government can draw up explanatory notes on all
Community matters for Parliaments within a given deadline.

important

Examples:

3. Opportunities

should be provided for meetings with
ministers in the national Parliaments well
in advance of
Community meetings. The government should give an
account of its attitude to Community proposals at such
meetings.

Examples:

— it should be possible for the Parliament to ask questions of ministers well
in advance of Council meetings in order to obtain clarification of the
government's attitude to specific issues,

— it should be possible for the Parliament's European Affairs Committee
and expert committee to hold a suitable number of meetings with the
paricipation of a minister and adapted to the Council meetings so that
the Parliament can consider the content of the Council meetings at a
concrete level.

4. The national Parliament

informed by the
in advance as regards decisions to be
the
government's
concerns ordinary

in the EU and concerning
regarding decisions. This

government well
made
proposals

should be

— the government can forward agendas of forthcoming Council meetings

with relevant references to Community legislation documents,

— the government must forward minutes of Council meetings within a

short time frame after the meetings.

is

the

administrative
it

assistance
responsibility of

in the national
5. Concerning
Parliament,
each national
Parliament to ensure maximum benefit from the guidelines,
inter alia, by strengthtening the administrative and expert
assistance to the Parliament in EU matters and adapting
this assistance to Parliament's real needs.

III. Publication

is proposed that

these guidelines, which are not

legally
It
binding, should be published in the Official
the
European Union, C (1) Series. The C Series contains communi-
cations and information of a non-binding nature.

Journal of

(1) See also ‘Note concerning new voting rules in COSAC’ as regards
publication of COSAC contributions in the Official Journal of the
European Union, C Series.