The Future of the EU Institutions: Understanding the Role of the European Parliament in Shaping EU Action

In view of the European Parliamentary elections IEP@BU has launched a series of webinars on the future of the EU institutions.

Whereas there has not been any Treaty change since the Lisbon Treaty (2007), the role of the European Council, the European Commission, and the European Parliament have evolved considerably in the past 15 years or so. 
In particular, the role of the European Council has become more prominent, arguably at times going beyond the function allocated to it by the Treaties (providing political impetus to the European Union).
The role of the European Commission has also evolved significantly: in terms of formal powers (e.g. economic governance); informal and soft powers (e.g. immigration); and external influence. 
The European Parliament, on the other hand, has seen at times its powers limited (e.g., Governance of NGEU), whereas it has also sought to assert and carve new prerogatives for itself (e.g., Spitzenkandidaten). 

The webinars then seek to take stock of those developments, inviting leading academics from the social sciences (politics, law and economics) and policy makers to share their reflections on these issues.

In the next wEUebinar, we will discuss the importance of the European Parliament.

SPEAKERS:

Maurizio Ferrera is a Professor of Political Science at the Department of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Milan. He is also a IEP@BU Non-Resident Fellow. 

Simon Hix is the Stein Rokkan Chair in Comparative Politics at the European University Institute, in Florence. He is also a IEP@BU Non-Resident Fellow.
 

CHAIR:

Eleanor Spaventa is Professor of European Union Law at Bocconi Law School. She is a member of the managing board of the Institute for European Policy Making at Bocconi University.

You can re-watch the kick-off event with Giuliano Amato, Sylvie Goulard, Mario Monti, and Eleanor Spaventa here. 

IEP@BU does not express opinions of its own. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the authors.

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