Parliament adopts ‘more attractive’ plenary structure

Political group leaders in the European Parliament yesterday (25 October) unanimously adopted proposals to fundamentally reform the structure of its plenary sessions in an effort to make its work more efficient and attractive to the public.

The proposals, set to become operational in January 2008, were submitted by the working group on parliamentary reform chaired by German MEP Dagmar Roth-Behrendt (PES), established in February 2007 at the request of EP President Hans Gert-Pöttering with the aim of making Parliament’s work more efficient and more attractive to the public. 

The principal reforms to the plenary session are as follows: 

• Priority debates on major legislation will take place on Tuesdays, with major political debates on Wednesdays. 
• There will be a period of at least a month between votes in the committees and votes in plenary. 
• Debates will be scheduled directly prior to the relevant vote, and political group speakers will systematically speak at the beginning of debates. 
• Rapporteurs will be given additional speaking time so that they may react to points made or wind up the debate, and extra time will be made available for spontaneous interventions and questions from MEPs. 
• MEPs will be invited to speak from the front rows of the chamber. 

Chair of the working group Dagmar Roth-Behrendt said the decision shows that Parliament is committed to the reform process. “We will now see to it that the measures approved are implemented as soon as possible in order to achieve visible results”, she added.

Congratulating the working group, EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering said that as a result of the reforms, “the work of Parliament’s plenary sessions will be […] better structured and debates will become more lively and interesting. That was an important aim of the parliamentary reform. With this, the first stage of the reform process has been successfully completed.” 

The working group’s mandate is ongoing, and it is currently addressing committee business and institutional relations, before moving onto external issues in early 2009. 

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