Chapter 16 Answer guidance

Q2) What role do national parliaments play in EU policy-making?

See section 16.4

  • All legislative initiatives must be submitted to the national parliaments at the same time as to the Council and the EP for a subsidiarity check.
  • Within eight weeks a national chamber may send a ‘reasoned opinion’ to the Commission if it believes the proposal does not respect the principle of subsidiarity.
  • If one third of the total votes (two per country) are against the initiative, a ‘yellow card’ of warning is held to have been issued, and the Commission must review its proposal.
Back to top