Brussels, 17/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament wants to exercise greater control over the governance of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), in an effort to increase its democratic legitimacy.
In a resolution that it adopted by a comfortable majority on Thursday 17 December, the EP “urges the Commission to launch negotiations on an interinstitutional agreement (IIA) on European economic governance, including the European Semester and the scrutiny of the implementation of the macroeconomic adjustment programme, with Parliament, the Council and the Eurogroup”, applied to euro area countries in exchange for financial assistance.
At the end of October, the European Commission proposed setting up National Competitiveness Boards responsible for providing expertise on member states' performance in this field (see EUROPE 11415). It also unveiled a roadmap that should help develop single euro zone representation by 2025. The Parliamentary resolution emphasises, however, that this package “does not leave enough room for parliamentary oversight and debate at European level”
The MEPs regret that the Commission chose not to use the ordinary legislative procedure for the decisions regarding National Competitiveness Boards, and calls on the Commission to make a legislative proposal to that effect. The Commission is also called on “to ensure that the international representation of the euro area is subject to the democratic scrutiny of Parliament”. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)