Establishment-Legal basis

The Committee for European Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament was established by decision of the President of the Hellenic Parliament on June 13 1990. Its modus operandi and competences are set out in Article 32A of the Hellenic Parliament Standing Orders titled    “Committee for European Affairs”.

Composition

At the onset of every parliamentary term the President of Parliament establishes by decision a special standing Committee for European Affairs, also appointing as its President one of the Parliament’s Vice- Presidents. Greek Members of the European Parliament can participate in the committee’s sittings, also with a right to speak.

Scope of competences

According to Article 32A of the Hellenic Parliament Standing Orders the following issues fall within the committee’s scope of competences:

1. EU institutional issues,

2. issues of cooperation between the Hellenic Parliament and other national Parliaments of the European Union, the European Parliament and the Conference of European Affairs Committees of EU Parliaments (COSAC),

3. European policy issues  and

4.  Legislative acts by European Union institutions.

The committee may deliver a consultative opinion via submission of respective report to the Parliament and the Government, including any minority views.

Further and parallel to the aforementioned consultative opinion proceedings, there is also the opinion process set out in Article 41B of the Hellenic Parliament Standing Orders titled “Opinions on EU regulatory acts”, providing for the right of the Hellenic Parliament to examine draft EU legislative acts in accordance to article 70§8 of the Constitution, as well as all European Commission’s consultation documents. The same article contains provisions setting out the committee sittings convocation process, as well as the process of delivering opinion on the aforementioned acts and documents in the frame of political dialogue and scrutiny of compliance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.