Comitology and parliamentarisation: Strong causality and weak interaction

Abstract

The comitology procedures have been an integral part of the European Union legislative decision-making process. The negotiation of the legal framework of the comitology procedures, as well as the administrative practice of the European Commission in drafting implementing acts, is relevant to the legal research on the evolution of European integration. This article studies the dynamic relationship between the process of regulation and implementation of comitology procedures, and the process of parliamentarisation of the European Communities and later of the European Union. Two hypotheses are tested. The first hypothesis claims that there is a clear causal link between the use of newly acquired budgetary and legislative powers of the European Parliament, and the limitation of control by Member States on the Commission by the comitology committees. The second hypothesis claims that a weak system interaction exists between the notion of parliamentarisation and the reform of the comitology system.