Watchdog role for national parliaments

THE Lisbon treaty gives national parliaments a direct input into the EU legislative process.

Under the treaty, all European Commission green and white papers, the commission’s annual legislative programme and all draft EU legislation is to be sent directly to the 27 national parliaments. This will be done at exactly the same time as these documents are sent to the Council of Ministers and to the European Parliament.

This process gives the national parliaments time to consider commission proposals.