Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 09/2014

A Eurozone Subcommittee in the European Parliament: high hopes, low results?

Stijn Verhelst

July 2014

EGMONT – The Royal Institute for International Relations

Abstract

The task of ensuring the democratic legitimacy of the euro has been placed high on the agenda. A eurozone subcommittee in the European Parliament is one of the rare concrete proposals to secure this, creating high hopes. Due to legal and political hurdles the idea might nonetheless have minimal results, which might result in suboptimal parliamentary scrutiny of the eurozone. This Policy Brief argues that if a eurozone subcommittee is to be both meaningful and politically feasible, it should combine substantial competences with innovative decision-making.