Brussels, 26/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - In a resolution adopted on Friday 26 October, the European Parliament said that national parliaments should be more involved in the European Semester process. During a debate in plenary on Thursday, Jean-Paul Gauzès (EPP, France) said the European Semester was very important in the introduction of coordinated economic and financial policies for the member states and should involve both the EU and national parliaments. He said that if the Commission's proposals were to be validated by the Council of Ministers before influencing national budgets, then in terms of democratic control, there will be the need for proper understanding and coordination with national parliaments. He recommended educational work to raise national parliaments' awareness because they fail to fully understand the various EU mechanisms. This would also reassure them that the EU is not planning to tread on their toes and the national parliamentarians would not feel they were being dictated to.
French socialists welcomed the fact that the resolution requires a guarantee for young people and recommends national contributions be excluded from calculations of structural deficits as set out in the two-pack of draft legislation to amend the stability and growth pact. MB/transl.fl)