16 May
15:00 - 16:30

MCEL research seminar

The seminar will feature presentations of two new Assistant Professors of European Law, Diane Fromage and Natassa Athanasiadou. 

Diane Fromage will start with a presentation on National parliaments in an (increasingly) asymmetric European Union
Abstract: The European Union (EU) is, without any doubt, an asymmetric Union. Yet, these asymmetries do not only exist in formal terms but increasingly surface on an informal basis. This situation undoubtedly represents an important challenge for national parliaments in their control of and participation in EU affairs in a context in which many of them already experience serious difficulties. 
Against this background, this paper analyses the role national parliaments play in such asymmetric Union and it examines the role they should be playing were the asymmetries to increase even further if the prospects of a ‘two-tier’ or a ‘two-speed’ Union were to be implemented. It claims too that parliaments play mostly a role in the emergence of informal asymmetries rather than in that of formal asymmetries. It further claims that in particular if a more reduced group of Member States is to integrate further for instance by the creation of a fiscal Union, a ‘revamped European parliamentary assembly’ should be created to allow national parliaments to fulfil their roles as institutions in charge of ensuring accountability and information towards the citizenry. 

Natassa Athanasiadou will then continue with her presentation entitled The European Citizens’ Initiative: Lost in Admissibility?
Abstract: The European Citizens’ Initiative is an instrument of direct democracy created by the Lisbon Treaty (Article 11(4) TEU) aiming at reinforcing the involvement and influence of citizens over the legislative agenda of the EU. Pursuant to Article 11(4) TEU, EU citizens may take the initiative of inviting the European Commission, within the framework of its powers, to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where they consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties (emphasis added). The Commission has so far interpreted the latter conditions in a restrictive way and thus rejected the registration of numerous proposed initiatives. The General Court has upheld this interpretation in a series of judgments with the exception of a recent judgment delivered in February 2017 (Case T-646/13, Minority SafePack). In the light of this judgment and with a view to providing better guidance to the initiators, it will be argued that the Commission needs to raise its motivation threshold upon rejection of an initiative or examine the possibility of partial registration. A debate on reform suggestions of the practical application of the European Citizens’ Initiative has been triggered also by the recent statement (11.04.17) of first VP Timmermans that the Commission will launch before the summer 2017 a public consultation on the reform of the European Citizens’ Initiative Regulation. 
 
You are all warmly welcome to attend this seminar.
Best wishes,
The MCEL team

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