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The European Parliamentary Assembly: Techniques of Emerging “Political Control”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2009

Eric Stein
Affiliation:
Professor of International Law and Organization at the University of Michigan Law School, formerly of the Department of State, is in charge of a study of some of the legal implications of the European Economic Community. He wishes to acknowledge the helpful research assistance of Peter H. Hay, J.D. 1958, University of Michigan Law School.
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Abstract

The English parliamentary system emerged from the dramatic struggle between the English Parliament and the Crown over the principle of political or “democratic” control. For leaders of the Commons such as Edward Coke a single false step beyond the line of the sovereign's endurance meant the Tower of London. Another struggle in a different key and on a different level has begun with little publicity on the Continent. The European Parliamentary Assembly in the newly established European Communities is seeking to assert some degree of control and influence not only over the mushrooming Commissions, but also over the powerful Councils of Ministers. Obviously, there is no danger of an irate Council of Ministers confining the obstreperous parliamentarians to the dungeons of Strasbourg. Moreover, the European Parliamentary Assembly is far from being a parliament. Members of the Community “executive” such as Jean Monnet have encouraged rather than fought the Assembly. In these as in other respects the analogy with the development of the English parliamentary system must not be pressed too far. But the broad contours of the contest, the pressures and counter-pressures, the use and abuse of legal argument, and the reliance on genuine and fabricated precedent offer an interesting study in the development of a parliamentary body.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The IO Foundation and Cambridge University Press 1959

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References

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37 Art. 24, par. 2, ECSC Treaty; Art. 144, par. 1, EEC Treaty; Art. 114, par. 1, Euratom Treaty.

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52 See footnote 38 supra.

53 Press Bulletin Europe, No. 284, item 1381, December 5, 1958.Google Scholar

54 See Speech by Rep. Santero in CRE, footnote 7 supra, 8, p. 18.Google Scholar

55 Belgium, Sénat, Annales Parlementaires, Séance du Mercredi, November 27, 1957, p. 137Google Scholar. The problem of coordinating the work in the European Assemblies and the national parliaments was also mentioned by Lindsay, Towards a European Parliament, Strasbourg, 1958, p. 31, 32, 81, with respect to the Council of Europe.Google Scholar

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65 Lyon, , op. cit., footnote 31 supra, p. 44.Google ScholarThe Assembly's demand expressed in Point II(A) of its resolution of December 2, 1954, 3 Journal Officiel de la Communauté Européenne du Charbon er de l'acier, December 11, 1954 (No. 22), p. 532Google Scholar, to have its observers admitted to certain sessions of the Consultative Committee was apparently ignored.

66 Art. 23, ECSC Treaty; Art. 140, EEC Treaty; Art. 110, Euratom Treaty.

67 Art. 38(2), Rules of Procedure, Journal Officiel, July 26, 1958, p. 229/58; cf. also Kauvenbergh Report, footnote 7 supra, par. 13. p. 1314.Google Scholar

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70 Arts. 23 and 26, Rules of Procedure, Journal Officiel, July 26, 1958, p. 224/58, 225/58.Google Scholar

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76 Art. 140, EEC Treaty; Art. 110, Euratom Treaty. Does a member of the Council have the right to be heard “at any time”? The German version of Art. 29(4) of the Rules of Procedure includes the word “jederzeit” while the French version only states “sur leur demande”. Cf. CRE, footnote 7 supra, 7, p. 4245Google Scholar. The additional German word being superfluous, members of the Council may speak “upon demand” which is tantamount to “at any time”. Kauvenbergh, ibid., p. 42.

77 Communauté Européenne du Charbon et de l'acier, Règlement de l'assemblée Commune, edition of March 1956, Art. 38(2); Art. 38(2)Google Scholar, Rules of Procedure, Journal Officiel, July 26, 1958, p. 229/58Google Scholar; Lyon, , op. cit., footnote 31 supra, p. 51.Google Scholar

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105 Art. 4 of the UN Charter; Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, I.C.J. Reports 1950, p. 434.Google Scholar

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115 Assemblée Parlementaire Européenne, Débats, Compte Rendu in extenso, édition provisoire, December 16, 1958 (No. 16), p. 197201, 220226.Google Scholar

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117 The EEC Treaty provides for a transitional period of 12–15 years. Art. 8, EEC Treaty.

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122 Speeches by Rep. Van der Goes van Naters, CRE, footnote 7 supra, 8, p. 1315, by the President of the High Authority, Finet, M.Google Scholar, ibid., p. 27, and by Dr. Hallstein, ibid., p. 30–32.

123 See footnote 116 supra, par. 17, p. 16/59.Google Scholar

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125 Haas, , op. cit., footnote 10 supra, p. 407.Google Scholar

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127 Poher Report, footnote 30 supra, pars. 65–70, p. 3941.Google Scholar

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129 ibid.

130 Schriftlicher Bericht des 3. Sonderausschusses, Gemeinsamer Markt/Euratom, über den Entwurf eines Gesetzes zu den Verträgen vom 25. März 1957 zur Gründung der Europäischen Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft … Druck-sache Nr. 3660, 1957, p. 16.Google Scholar

131 Art. 2, Bundesgesetzblatt, 1957, II, p. 753.Google Scholar

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133 Arts. 113 and 114, 75, 85–87, EEC Treaty; Arts. 101–103, 106, Euratom Treaty.

134 Cf. Wigny, II, footnote 1 supra, p. 73.Google Scholar

135 Arts. 201, EEC Treaty and 173, Euratom Treaty provide for means whereby the financial contributions of the member states may be replaced by resources of the Communities themselves. However, the provisions do not expressly envisage a change of the role of the Assembly in the adoption of the budget.

136 Art. 238, EEC Treaty; Art. 206, Euratom Treaty; Assemblée Parlementaire Européenne, Rapport fait au nom de la Commission des Affaires politiques et des questions institutionelles sur la coordination des trois Communautés Européennes … par M. Janssens, rapporteur, Doc. No. 14, June 1958, par. 18, p. 22Google Scholar. See also speech by Rep. van Naters, Van der Goes, CRE, footnote 7 supra, 8, p. 1112.Google Scholar

137 Press Bulletin Europe, No. 293, item 1457, December 16, 1958Google Scholar; the composition of the working party is given in Journal Officiel, February 9, 1959, p. 175/59.Google Scholar

138 “The Assembly shall draw up proposals for elections by direct universal suffrage in accordance with a uniform procedure in all Member States. The Council … by unanimous vote … shall recommend [the provisions] to Member States …” Art. 21, par. 3, ECSC Treaty, as amended by Art. 2(2) of the Convention relating to certain Institutions common to the European Communities; Art. 138(3), EEC Treaty; Arc. 108(3), Euratom Treaty. The requirement of a uniform procedure, not contained in the original version of Art. 21, ECSC Treaty, makes the speedy adoption of a scheme for direct elections more difficult. Spitaels, “Les Elections Directes Européennes,” 8 Les Cahiers de Bruges, No. 1, 1958, p. 23, at p. 2627.Google Scholar

139 See statements by Dehousse, MM., Sabattini, , Reynauld, , Spaak, , Teitgen, , and Wigny reproduced in Spitaels, footnote 138 supra, at p. 2324.Google Scholar