CIAO DATE: 07/2011
May 2011
Finnish Institute for International Affairs
The Treaty of Lisbon gave national parliaments the prerogative to control certain aspects of EU decision-making directly, without the involvement of member state governments. Their main task is to ensure that the EU legislator respects the principle of subsidiarity in its work. National parliaments also have their domestic roles in EU affairs. Their powers vary from country to country according to the national constitutional order. Holding a government accountable remains a challenge in many EU member states.
Resource link: Guardians of subsidiarity: National parliaments strive to control EU decision-making [PDF] - 3.0M