MEPs approved by 429 votes to 148 with 47 abstentions, on Wednesday 10 April, the report implementing the recommendations of the parliamentary group on the Parliament 2024 reform, as approved by the Conference of Presidents in December 2023 (see EUROPE 13378/18).
In particular, MEPs decided to improve cooperation between parliamentary committees by simplifying working methods in order to reduce conflicts of jurisdiction. The Conference of Presidents can also propose to the plenary that a temporary legislative committee be set up to examine particularly wide-ranging cross-cutting legislative proposals, which would otherwise involve an exceptionally large number of committees.
The European Parliament also voted in favour of introducing the concept of special scrutiny hearings to question Commissioners on issues of major political importance, and the possibility of ad hoc plenary sessions and special scrutiny sessions with the President of the European Commission or selected Commissioners without a predefined theme, to be held once per plenary. The process for confirmation hearings for Commissioners-designate has also been simplified and made more flexible.
The new rules will come into force at the start of the first plenary session after the European elections, on 16 July 2024. For the changes relating to interinstitutional cooperation to be implemented, the 2010 framework agreement between the Parliament and the Commission will have to be revised, a procedure already initiated by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/bqq (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)