Institut für Politikwissenschaft

Parliaments in the EU Multi-level Governance System

Developments after the Lisbon Treaty

The Lisbon Treaty grants parliaments on the European and the national - as well, as possibly also on the subnational - level new possibilities to participate in the process of European policy-making. Not only were the rights of the European Parliament improved, but also the national parliaments were assigned a more important role.

Extension of Regional Parliaments' Rights

This involved not only definition of the rights and functions of parliaments on all levels, their reciprocal relationships, and their role in the process of European policy-making. Already the Maastricht Treaty included some declarations that proposed to foster a participatory approach and control rights for national parliaments in EU affairs. The Amsterdam Treaty obtained a legally binding protocol about the role of national parliaments and after the Treaty on a European Constitution failed, the rights of information and complaint of the subsidiarity monitoring network was provisionally de-facto implemented through a voluntary self-commitment of the European Commission.

Subsidiarity & Early-warning Mechanism

In the Lisbon Treaty national parliaments are granted the possibility to influence European policy-making processes directly, in particular through the regulations regarding subsidiarity. Moreover, with the so-called "early-warning system" and the new right of action for the national parliaments before the European Court of Justice, a parliamentary procedure for subsidiarity control was established. It is in the responsibility of the member states to grant a say to subnational parliaments, where appropriate. In the so-called Lisbon-verdict of the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) as of summer 2009, the German Bundestag was specifically requested to exercise its "responsibility for integration" (Integrationsverantwortung) and establish institutional structures to improve its possibilities to participate in European politics.

Parliamentarisation of the EU-system

The ongoing parliamentarisation of the EU-system - on both the European and the national level - was henceforth associated with an expectation of increased legitimacy and effectivity. The national and subnational parliaments not only lost law-making and thereby legislative competencies to the European level. The conventional functions of parliaments (legislation, control, elections, representation, articulation, formation-of-will, recruitment etc.), all of whom underwent a transition, which was above all a result of the embeddedness in the larger EU system. In the past, national parliaments responded to Europeanisation with institutional convergence. In many ways, national parliaments were limited to the implementation of European policies, as well as the participation and control of political actions of their governments - with differential success. Following the Lisbon Treaty, the national parliaments maintain the option to review their existing structures in EU affairs, in order to be able to utilise the scope for action offered by the treaty.

Research Questions of the Project

The new regulations of the Lisbon Treaty were a legal step towards multi-level-parlamentarism. Whether they contributed to a new form of EU-legitimation and parliamentarism and thus add to overcoming the EU's democratic deficit, essentially depends on the political praxis of the national parliaments. The following questions are central to the project:

  • How are the new rights of the (sub)national parliaments and the European Parliament constituted?
  • How do subnational parliaments behave in the EU in the post-Lisbon era?
  • Which forms of interaction and interconnection between parliaments of different levels develop?
  • Which theoretical and empirical challenges emerge for the development of a "multi-level-parliamentarism"?

Activities

Cover image of the conference "Strengthening Regional Parliaments in EU Affairs"

Strengthening regional parliaments in EU affairs

Challenges, practices, and perspectives

Conference of the Committee of the Regions and the University of Tübingen

Brussels, Belgium, July 2, 2014

Background

The Lisbon Treaty recognises regional parliaments with legislative powers within the framework of the system of subsidiarity monitoring. This affects a total of 74 regional parliaments from eight EU Member States. Many of these have undertaken reforms to adapt to these opportunities for becoming a more active player in the EU multi-level system. Adapting to the so-called Early Warning Mechanism is certainly at the heart of these reforms. The Committee of the Regions (CoR) has supported regional parliaments in various ways, above all by establishing a Subsidiarity Monitoring Network and by setting up the database REGPEX to help regional parliaments to exercise their new rights and improve regional inter-parliamentary cooperation. 

The conference aims to raise awareness of the role of and challenges facing regional parliaments in this context. Contributions by academics and practitioners focus on an initial evaluation of the new mechanisms and their use by regional parliaments. In addition, the conference aims to bring practitioners from regional parliaments into contact with each other and with policy-makers and experts at European level. 

Target group

Participants fall into one of the following categories:

  • Practitioners from regional parliaments' administrations;
  • Officials from regional representation offices in Brussels;
  • Representatives of EU institutions;
  • Experts and Brussels-based think tanks with an interest in regional affairs. 

Funding and Cooperation Partners

The conference is jointly organised by the Committee of the Regions and the Jean Monnet Chair from the University of Tübingen, Gabriele Abels. It is supported by

  • Staatsministerium Baden-Wuerttemberg
  • Peter Friedrich, Minister for Bundesrat, European and International Affairs, Alternate Member of the Committee of the Regions
  • The European Commission, Lifelong Learning Programme, Grant No. 2011-3041

Speakers

Professor Dr Gabriele Abels, University of Tuebingen, Germany

Professor Iain Begg, European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom

Nicolas Brookes, Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CPMR)

Professor Peter Bursens, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Professor Dr Peter Bußjäger, Director of the Institute of Federalism, Innsbruck, Austria

Raffaele Cattaneo, President of the Regional Council of Lombardy, Italy, and chair of the CALRE Working Group on Subsidiarity

Dorothe Christensen, European Commission, Deputy Head of Unit in the Secretariat General, responsible for relations with National Parliaments, the EESC, the CoR and the Ombudsman

Patricia Ferguson, Member of the Scottish Parliament, CoR Member

Peter Friedrich, Minister for Bundesrat, European and International Affairs, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, CoR Member

Constanza Gaeta, Director for Institutional and European Affairs at the Conference of the Presidents of the Italian Regional Parliaments

Claude Gewerc, member of the Picardy Regional Council; France, and Political Coordinator ad interim of the CoR's Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform

Francisco Juan Gomez Martos, European Parliament, Head of Unit for Institutional Cooperation

Sylvie Goulard, Member of the European Parliament, member of the Spinelli Group

Daniel Janssens, Secretary-General ad interim of the Committee of the Regions

Professor Dr Sabine Kropp, Free University of Berlin, Germany

Jo Leinen, Member of the European Parliament, member of the Spinelli Group

Professor Dr Andreas Maurer, University of Innsbruck, Austria

Pilar Rojo, President of CALRE

Dr Michael Schneider, Member of the Committee of the Regions, Chair of the Subsidiarity Steering Group

Dr Herwig van Staa, President of the Tirol Regional Assembly, Austria

Conference Proceedings

On 2 July 2014, the European Committee of the Regions and the holder of the Jean Monnet Chair at Tübingen University, Gabriele Abels, jointly organised a conference on the role of regional parliaments in EU affairs in Brussels. Attracting about 100 practitioners from regional parliaments’ administrations, officials from regional representation offices in Brussels, representatives of EU institutions and experts and Brussels-based think tanks with an interest in regional affairs, the conference highlighted the challenges facing regional parliaments in the context of subsidiarity control, economic governance, cooperation and communication.

E-Book of the Conference Proceedings by the CoR


Subnational Parliaments in the EU Multi-level Parliamentary System

Taking stock from the Post-Lisbon Era

International Workshop

Esterházy Castle, Eisenstadt, Austria, November 6-9, 2012

Key Objectives

(1) It aims to bring together outstanding international experts with a different disciplinary background and from these diverse fields with the purpose of illuminating the conceptual and methodological challenges for the study of regional parliaments and their role in EU affairs.

(2) It aims to shed light on the empirical development at subnational level. It focuses on the question if and how regional parliaments respond to the new legal opportunities provided by the Lisbon Treaty. It aims to identify and compare the causes why some regional parliaments are more responsive and more active in EU affairs.

(3) It aims to bring together scholars and political actors as well as practicioners from parliamentary administrations from regional parliaments to facilitate a dialogue between academia and regional parliaments.

Panels & Round Table

Based on these three objectives, the two and a half day workshop combines a set of several key note speeches and other contributions from scholars with country case studies and a round table with political actors/practicioners. The workshop programme is organized in 5 panels:

Panel I “Subnational parliaments in a multi-level system: Conceptual issues”: This panel outlines the state of the art in the above mentioned different academic fields and addresses the key questions involved in the study of subnational parliaments with respect to their involvement in EU affairs. 

Panel II “Sub-national parliaments as political actors in EU affairs: case studies”: Brief reports on the status quo and ongoing reform at subnational level give an overview of six EU member states, three federal and three regionalized states. The case studies will focus on the particular characteristics of the development in the respective member states/regional parliaments. In addition to this, a seventh case study deals with a candidate country: Serbia. In Serbia the parliament of the Autonomus Province of Vojvodina has developed activities in EU affairs already during negotiation.

Panel III “National and transnational cooperation of subnational parliaments”: Cooperation is usually considered to be a key strategy for parliaments in responding to Europeanization. Some scholars speak of a specific “networking function” (in addition to classical functions of parliaments) with regards to EU affairs. Yet, for subnational parliaments networking is a demanding strategy – in the national as well as in the transnational context. This panel looks at developing as well as at already existing institutions of subnational parliamentary cooperation and evaluates their effectiveness.

Panel IV “Expanding the role of subnational parliaments in a multi-level parliamentary system”: The final panel takes up the broader question of the democratic quality of the EU and if and how subnational parliaments and their involvement in EU affairs can make a contribution. This panel will also take stock of the results of the workshop and outline perspectives for future research.

Between Panel III and IV there is a round table bringing together scholars and experts from subnational parliaments, i.e. from the political as well as from the administrative level. The position of the workshop after Panel III is responding to the experience that experts from subnational parliaments are often highly interested in the issue of cooperation as a means of enhancing the “Europafähigkeit” (ability to adapt to the EU) of their respective parliament. We therefore create an incentive for participants in the round table to also attend Panel III or other parts of the workshop.

Background

Parliaments are widely perceived as looser of the process of European integration. While governments have been able to adapt to Europeanized policy-making and to increase their influence on European policies, parliaments have faced a number of difficulties in responding to EU influence on national systems. While sceptics voices criticize the transformation towards a post-democratic era accompanied by an overall trend of deparliamentarization of EU politics, other scholars conceptualize the empirical developments in terms of changing functions of parliaments in general and in EU affairs in particular.

The Lisbon Treaty – often called “the treaty of parliaments” – sheds new light on this controversial debate. The dispute over the role of parliaments in EU affairs dates back to the early 1990s, when the Maastricht Treaty officially recognized a role for national parliaments in EU affairs. Yet, for a long time the topic of increasing the democratic legitimacy of the EU via a strategy of “parliamentarization” was considered to follow either a national route (i.e. strengthening national parliaments in EU affairs) or a supranational route (i.e. increasing the powers of the European Parliament). Ever since then treaty reforms have actually combined these routes and so does the Lisbon Treaty. On the one hand the Lisbon Treaty grants new powers, especially legislative powers, to the European Parliaments; on the other hand the role of national parliaments is strengthened by treaty provisions and two protocols of the Lisbon Treaty: National parliaments are mentioned in Art. 12, which highlights the positive role of national parliaments in contributing to the democratic quality of the EU and it calls for co-operation between national parliaments as well as between national parliaments and the European Parliament. In addition, the protocols on the role of national parliaments (Protocol no. 1) and the protocol on subsidiarity (Protocol no. 2) establish the so-called “early warning system”, which allows national parliaments some control over EU policy-making in case of an infringement of the subsidiarity principle.

These legal developments and the accompanying scholarly debate has primarily focused on the role of national parliaments. There is today a great amount of literature; numberous studies scrutinize and compare the development of national parliaments in the EU member states, assess the development against the background of established catalogues of parliamentary functions in democracies, introduce new EU-related parliamentary functions, and conceptualize the parliamentarization of democratic governance in the EU. There is broad consensus that parliamentarization of EU politics is not a one-level option, but democratic legitimacy has to be secured via multiple channels and on different levels given the sui generis nature of the EU as a multi-level system. 

Even though parliamentary involvement in EU affairs is today conceptualized in terms of a developing system of multi-level parliamentaris (Mauer) or a multi-level parliamentary field (Crum/Fossum), this concept is de facto so far limited to a two-level game of national and supranational level. Current research almost completely ignores the subnational level and, thereby, the role of regional parliaments and their role in EU affairs. This is in stark contrast to the fact that Protocol no. 2 of the Lisbon Treaty mentions for the very first time a potential role for subnational parliaments in EU affairs, specifically with regards to the process of subsidiarity analysis. According to Article 6 of Protocol no. 2 national parliaments are in some cases legally obliged to consult regional parliaments in their assessment of subisdiarity infringement. While this is not an issue for most EU member states due to the fact of their unitary state structures in which an existing regional level enjoys only administrative functions, this legal provision becomes a crucial issue for those eight EU member states with federal or regionalized state structures. In these states – Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom – regional parliaments are not simply "takers" and implementers of national and EU policies, but these parliaments are endowed with genuine legislative powers and these rights may be infringed by EU action. Consequently, this brings up the question of how regional parliaments in these eight member states are engaged in EU affairs and how they can make use of their newly acquired rights vis-à-vis their own (regional) goverments and vis-à-vis the EU.

Regional parliaments are involved in dynamic national processes of balancing the powers of national and regional level. The EU level adds an extra layer on top that is intertwined with national and regional politics. In many cases this may work against regional parliaments. While, for example, the German and Austrian Länder are assumed to have lost competen-ces to regional governments and to national parliaments due to a process of transferring regional competences to the national level (Unitarisierung von Bundesstaatlichkeit), this is not the case in member states where centripetal forces are strong. In Belgium, for example, the process of federalization of a formerly unitary system has brought along new competences for the five parliaments of the Belgium regions and communities. In the UK devolution implies strong autonomy especially for Scotland granting the Scottish parliament strong powers while Wales and Northern Ireland are less affected. Also in Italy and in Spain regionalization has increased the power of regional parliaments and some regions actively utilize the European level in order to strive for greater domestic autonomy. Portugal and Finland are striking cases, given that state structures in both countries are clearly unitary. Yet both states have a very limited number of regional parliaments restricted to some islands (in Finland the island of Åland has a regional parliament, in Portugal the islands of the Azores and Madeira, which are autonomous regions). A recent report commissioned by the Committee of the Regions (cf.  "The Role of Regional Parliaments in the Process of Subsidiarity Analysis within the Early Warning System of the Lisbon Treaty", Brussels 2010) illustrates that regional parliaments commence often major efforts in trying to respond to the new opportunities provided by Protocol no. 2 and they reform their instruments and strategies with regard to their involvement in EU affairs.

The developments outlined above are so far not sufficiently attended to in scholarly research - in empirical as well as in conceptual terms. As stated, the bulk of research concentrates on the role of national parliaments whereas only very few scholars look into the issue of regional parliaments. Recently a research network was set up called OPAL – Observatory of Parliaments after the Lisbon Treaty (www.opal-europe.org); again this network focuses on parliaments at the national level and by and large ignores regional parliaments.

The study of regional parliaments and their role in EU affairs is confronted with a particular scholarly challenge since it requires bringing together three strands of relevant literature that are so far not systematically interlinked: (1) European studies, especially the Europeanization approach; (2) comparative studies of parliaments; (3) comparative federalist studies. At best, most scholars combine two of these fields, but not all three of them.

Funding and Cooperation Partners

This workshop is promoted by the European Commission, Programme Lifelong Learning/ Jean Monnet Programme. The scientific coordinators are Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels and Dr. Annegret Eppler, Ass. iur., Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. Cooperation partners are:

Foster Europe Foundation, Mag. Stefan August Lütgenau

Institute for Research on Federalism, InnsbruckUniv.-Doz. Dr. Peter Bußjäger

Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad de Estudios Parlamentarios y del Estado Autonómico, MadridMario Kölling

European Centre for Research on Federalism (ECRF), Tübingen, Martin Große Hüttmann

Workshop Programme

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

18.00

Welcome address

  • Gerhard Steier, President of the State Parliament (Landtag) of Burgenland, Austria
  • Mag. Stefan August Lütgenau, Foster Europe Foundation for strong European Regions, Austria
  • Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels & Dr. Annegret Eppler, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany
  • Dr. Niklas Sonntag, Institute of Federalism Innsbruck, Austria
  • dott.ssa Paulina Magdalena Borowska, Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, European Academy of Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
  • N.N., Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad, Zaragoza, Spain

19.00

Complimentary Dinner 

 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

09.00
 

Introductory remarks: Studying subnational parliaments in European integration

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels/Dr. Annegret Eppler, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

09.15

Panel 1: Locating subnational parliaments in a multi-level system: Theoretical perspectives

 

"The Emergence of an EU 'Multi-Level Parliamentary Field' – Is there a role for subnational parliaments?"

Prof. Dr. Ben Crum, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 

"Subnational Parliaments in a 'multi-level parliamentary field': a new deliberative space?"

Prof. Dr. John Fossum, ARENA - Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo, Norway

 

Comment: Dr. Andreas Maurer, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin/Brussels, Belgium

Chair: Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

11.00

Coffee Break

11.30

"Can subnational parliaments improve the democratic legitimacy of the EU multi-level system?"

 Dr. Andreas Maurer, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin/Brussels, Belgium

 

Comment: Martin Große Hüttmann, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

Chair: Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

12.30

General discussion

13.00

Luncheon

14.00

Panel II: Research perspectives: What do federalist and Europeanization studies tell us?


 

Research perspective I: "Federalism and subnational parliaments – a delicate relationship?" 

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kropp, German University of Administrative Sciences, Speyer, Germany

 

Comment: PD Dr. Werner Reutter, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany


Research perspective II: "Europeanization and Sub-National Parliaments"

Prof. Dr. Robert Ladrech, Keele University, UK

 

Comment: Dr. Katrin Auel, Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, Austria

Chair: Dr. Niklas Sonntag, Institute of Federalism Innsbruck, Austria

15.30

Coffee break

16.00

Panel III: Subnational parliaments in EU affairs: Case studies of federal states

 

"Austria: Subsidiarity control – a cultural change"

Mag. Thomas Obernosterer, Director of the State Parliament (Landtag) of Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), St. Pölten, Austria

 

"Germany: Sub-national Parliaments in a Multi-level Parliamentary System – Reform Processes in the German Länder in the Post-Lisbon Era"

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

 

"Belgium: Dual federalism – Intensified Parliamentarism? – Belgian Regional Parliaments in EU Policy-making"

Dr. Peter Bursens, University of Antwerpen, Belgium

 

Comment: Dr. Annegret Eppler, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

Chair: Mag. Stefan August Lütgenau, Foster Europe, Austria

18.00

End of Day 1

19.00

Dinner at a “Heuriger”

 

Thursday, 8 November, 2012

09.00

Panel IV: Subnational parliaments in EU affairs: Case studies of 

devolved and regionalised states

 

"Spain: Asymmetrical involvement of autonomous parliaments in EU affairs"

Prof. Josep María Castella Andreu, University of Barcelona, and Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad, Zaragoza, Spain

 

"Italy: The New Framework for a Stronger Regional Involvement in EU Affairs. Much Ado and Little Outcomes"

Dr. Matteo Nicolini, Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, European Academy of Bolzano/Bozen, and University of Verona, Italy

 

"UK: The Scottish Parliament – Active Player in a Multilevel European Union?"

Dr. Anna-Lena Högenauer, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands


Comment: Dr. Sabrina Ragone, Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales (CEPC), Madrid, and Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad, Zaragoza, Spain

Chair: dott.ssa Paulina Magdalena Borowska, Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, European Academy of Bolzano/Bozen, Italy

11.00

Coffee break

11.30

"The early warning system in practice – subnational parliaments and scrutiny of EU legislation in comparative perspective"

Gracia Vara Arribas, LL.M., European Institute of Public Administration, Barcelona, Spain

 

Comment: Dr. Aron Buzogány, German Research Institute for Public Administration Speyer, Germany

Chair: Dr. Annegret Eppler, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

12.30

Luncheon

14.00

Panel V: National and transnational cooperation of subnational parliaments


 

"Cooperation of subnational parliaments: improvement of political legitimacy in the EU multi-level system? – outline of a research design"

Dr. Annegret Eppler, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

 

"CALRE – an effective network for regional parliaments?"

Univ.-Doz. Dr. habil. Peter Bußjäger, Institute of Federalism Innsbruck, Austria


"CoR – The growing role and responsibility of national and regional parliaments in the European integration process?"

Dr. Gerhard Stahl, Secretary-General of the EU Committee of the Regions, Brussels, Belgium

 

Comment:  Dr. Anna-Lena Högenauer, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands

Chair : Martin Große Hüttmann, European Centre for Research on Federalism (ECRF), Tübingen, Germany


 

16.00

Coffee break

16.30
 

Roundtable: Regional parliaments and European Integration

Prof. Ursula Männle, Chair of the EU Affairs Committee (CSU) of the State Parliament of Bavaria, and former Minister of the State of Bavaria, Germany

Dr. Gerhard Stahl, Secretary-General of the EU Committee of the Regions, Brussels, Belgium

Univ.-Doz. Dr. habil. Peter Bußjäger, Director of the Institute of Federalism Innsbruck, Austria

Sandro Sandri, Secretary-General, Commission for International Affairs, Regional Parliament of Veneto, Italy 

 

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels, University of Tübingen, and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

19.00

Guided tour and wine tasting with buffet dinner in Esterházy Winery

 

Friday, November 9, 2012

09.00

Panel VI: Expanding the role of subnational parliaments in a multi-level parliamentary system


 

"Changing parliamentary roles: What does this mean for subnational parliaments and European integration?"

Prof. Dr. Werner Patzelt, Technical University Dresden, Germany

 

Representing citizens: the neglected function of subnational parliaments

PD Dr. Werner Reutter, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany 

 

Comment: Prof. Dr. Sabine Kropp, German University of Administrative Sciences, Speyer, Germany 

Chair: Dr. Mario Kölling, Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales (CEPC), Madrid, and Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad, Zaragoza, Spain

10.30
 

Coffee break

11.00
 

Taking stock: Subnational parliaments in the post-Lisbon era

Final discussion of workshop outcomes and research perspectives; discussion of book project

 

Chair: Dr. Annegret Eppler, University of Tübingen, Germany and European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen (ECRF), Germany

12.00

Farewell notes by the organizers

12.15

Light luncheon

13.00
 

End of workshop and departure

Speakers

Abels, Gabriele Prof. Dr., Institute of Political Science, University of Tuebingen, Germany; Jean Monnet Chair of Comparative Politics and European Integration; contributor to the updated CoR report on subsidiarity analysis (Germany, Austria; report forthcoming); most relevant publications: (ed.) Auf dem Weg zum Mehrebenenparlamentarismus? Funktionen von Parlamenten im politischen System der EU (Baden-Baden 2011; co-editor A. Eppler); Die deutschen Landesparlamente nach Lissabon-Vertrag und –Urteil. In: EZFF (ed.): Jahrbuch des Föderalismus 2011 (Baden-Baden 2011; co-author A. Eppler)

Auel, Katrin Dr., Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, Austria; most relevant publications: (ed.) Europeanisation of Parliamentary Democracy, Journal of Legislative Studies 11 (3/4), 2005; co-editor A. Benz); Democratic Accountability and National Parliaments – Re-Defining the Impact of Parliamentary Scrutiny in EU Affairs’, European Law Journal 13 (4), 2007; Just Another Link in the Chain? Delegation, Agency Theory and National Parliaments in EU Affairs’, in: Curtin/Wille (eds.): Meanings and Practice of Accountability in the EU Multi-Level Context (Connex Report Series Vol. 7, Mannheim, 2008).

Borowska, Paulina Magdalena dott.ssa, Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, European Academy of Bolzano/Bozen, Italy; Coordinator of the Institute; most relevant publications: Polonia (in Privitera 2008); Projekt Bildung eines Netzwerkes zur Förderung der Minderheitensprachen Polnisch und Tschechisch in der Grenzregion.

Bursens, Peter Dr., University of Antwerpen, Belgium.

Bußjäger, Peter Univ- Doz. Dr. habil., Institute for Federalism Innsbruck, Austria, and Director of the Landtag of Vorarlberg, Austria; most relevant publications: (ed.) Die Zukunft der parlamentarischen Kontrolle(Wien 2008); Europapolitik und Europafähigkeit der Länder in Österreich, in: Lambertz/Große Hüttmann (eds.), Europapolitik und Europafähigkeit von Regionen (Baden-Baden 2009, co-author A. Djanani); The Austrian Länder: The Relationship of Regional Parliaments to the Executive Power against the Background of Europeanisation, in: Hrbek (ed.), Legislatures in Federal Systems and Multi-Level Governance (Baden-Baden 2010); Frühlingserwachen? Über die aufkeimende Liebe der regionalen und nationalen Parlamente an der Mitwirkung in der Europäischen Union, in: EZFF (ed.): Jahrbuch des Föderalismus 2009, (Baden-Baden 2010).

Buzogány, Aron Dr. des., German University of Administrative Sciences, Speyer, Germany; most relevant publications: Von den Schwierigkeiten, Zusammengehöriges zu vereinen – Nationale Parlamente und Exekutiven als Gegenstand der Europäisierungsforschung, Politische Vierteljahresschrift 53 (1) 2012, (co-authors S. Kropp, J. Buche); True control or trompe-l’œil? Parliamentary scrutiny of EU policies in the Hungarian Parliament, in: Arató/Enyedi/Lux (eds.), Structures and Futures of Europe (Budapest 2012). 

Castella Andreu, Josep María Prof. Dr., University of Barcelona and Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad, Zaragoza, Spain.

Crum, Ben J.J. Prof. Dr., Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Political Science; most relevant publications: Tailoring Representative Democracy to the European Union, European Law Journal 11 (4) 2005; The Multilevel Parliamentary Field: a framework for theorizing representative democracy in the EU, European Political Science Review 1 (2) 2009 (co-author with J. Fossum); Inter-Parliamentary Contacts of Members of the European Parliament. Report of a Survey, RECON Online Working Paper 2011/08 (with E. Miklin)

Eppler, Annegret Dr., Institute of Political Science, University of Tuebingen, Germany; most relevant publications: (ed.) Auf dem Weg zum Mehrebenenparlamentarismus? Funktionen von Parlamenten im politischen System der EU (Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag 2011, together with G. Abels).

Fossum, John Prof., University of Oslo, ARENA Centre for European Studies, Oslo, Norway; RECON (Reconstituting Democracy in Europe) network; most important publications: (ed.) The European Union and the Public Sphere A Communicative Space in the Making? (London 2008; co-editor P. Schlesinger); The Multilevel Parliamentary Field: a framework for theorizing representative democracy in the EU, European Political Science Review 1 (2) 2009 (co-author B. Crum); (ed.), Rethinking Democracy and the European Union (London 2012; co-editor E.O. Eriksen).

Große Hüttmann, Martin Dr. des., Institute of Political Science, University of Tübingen, Germany; most relevant publications: Wie Europafähigk ist der deutsche Föderalismus, Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte B 13-14/2005; Die Koordination der deutschen Europapolitik, Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte 10/2007); (ed.) Europalexion (Berlin 2008; co-editior H.-J. Wehling). 

Högenauer, Anna-Lena Dr., University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Kölling, Mario Dr., Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales (CEPC), Madrid, and Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad, Zaragoza, Spain.

Kropp, Sabine Prof. Dr., German University of Administrative Sciences, Speyer, Germany; editor of the series “Studien zum Parlamentarismus” (Nomos); most relevant publications: Von den Schwierigkeiten, Zusammengehöriges zu vereinen – Nationale Parlamente und Exekutiven als Gegenstand der Europäisierungsforschung, Politische Vierteljahresschrift 53 (1) 2012, (co-authors A.Buzogány, J. Buche); (ed.) Die EU-Staaten im Vergleich, 3rd edition (Wiesbaden 2008; co-editor O.W. Gabriel); German Parliamentary Party Groups in Europeanised Policymaking: Awakening from the Sleep? Institutions and Heuristics as MPs' Resources, German Politics 19 (2) 2010. 

Ladrech, Robert Prof. Dr, Keele University, UK.

Lütgenau, Stefan August Mag., Foster Europe: Foundation for strong European regions, Austria, Programme head; most important publications: (ed.) Die Zukunft des österreichischen Bundesstaates in Europa: Perspektiven und Positionen (Innsbruck 2011); (ed.) Regionalization and Minority Policies in Central Europe: Case Studies from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania (Innsbruck 2011). 

Männle, Ursula Prof., Chair of the EU Affairs Committee (CSU) of the State Parliament of Bavaria, and former Minister of the State of Bavaria, Germany. 

Maurer, Andreas Dr., Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Brussels, Senior research fellow; most important publications: Mehrebenendemokratie und Mehrebenenparlamentarismus: Das Europäische Parlament und die nationalen Parlamente nach Lissabon, in: Kadelbach (ed.) Europäische Integration und parlamentarische Demokratie (Baden-Baden 2009); (ed.) Das Europäische Parlament nach Amsterdam und Nizza: Akteur, Arena oder Alibi? (Baden-Baden 2003; co-editor W. Wessels); (ed.) National parliaments on their ways to Europe: losers or latecomers? (Baden-Baden 2001). 

Nicolini, Matteo Dr., Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism, European Academy of Bolzano/Bozen, and University of Verona, Italy.

Obernosterer, Thomas, Director of the Landtag of Lower Austria, St. Pölten, Austria.

Patzelt, Werner Prof. Dr., Technical University Dresden, Germany.

Ragone, Sabrina Dr., Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales (CEPC), Madrid and Fundación Manuel Giménez Abad, Zaragoza, Spain.

Reutter, Werner PD Dr., Free University of Berlin, Germany; most relevant publications: Föderalismus, Parlamentarismus und Demokratie. Landesparlamente im Bundesstaat (Opladen 2008); Länder und Landesparlamente im föderalen System der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, in: Härtel (ed.): Handbuch Föderalismus – interdisziplinär. Föderalismus als demokratische Rechtsordnung und Rechtskultur in Deutschland, Europa und der Welt (Heidelberg 2009); Les parlements régionaux et les différents échelons politiques, Allemagne d’aujourd’hui no. 184/2008 ; (ed.) Landesparlamentarismus. Geschichte, Struktur, Funktionen, 2nd edition (Wiesbaden 2011; co-editor S. Mielke). 

Sandri, Sandro, Secretary-General, Commission for International Affairs, Regional Parliament of Veneto, Italy.

Sonntag, Niklas Dr., Institute of Federalism, Innsbruck, Austria; most relevant publication: Der Bundesrat als Organ präventiver Normenkontrolle (in Gierlinger 2012); Die Novelle des Tiroler Raumordnungsgesetzes (in Karlhofer/Pallaver 2011); Präventive Normenkontrolle in Österreich (Wien 2011); Zur Frage der Wahlpflicht in Österreich und Italien (in Gamper 2010); Minderheiten und Recht (EJM 2010).

Stahl, Gerhard Dr., Secretary General of the Committee of the Regions, Brussels.

Steier, Gerhard, President of the State Parliament (Landtag) of Burgenland, Austria.

Vara Arribas, Gracia LLM, European Institute of Public Administration, Barcelona, Spain; coordinator and author of the CoR report on subsidiarty analysis; most relevant publication: The Role of Regional Parliaments in the Process of Subsidiarity Analysis within the Early Warning System of the Lisbon Treaty (Brussels: Committee of the Regions); The Institutional impacts of EU legislation on local and regional governments (EIPA 2009); Tripartite Arrangements: An Effective Tool for Multilevel Governance? (EIPA 2005); The European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC): New spaces and contracts for European integration? EIPASCOPE 2/2009 (co-author G. Spinaci).

Cover image of Abels & Eppler 2016, Subnational Parliaments in the EU Multi-Level Parliamentary System Taking Stock of the Post-Lisbon Era.

Conference Proceedings & Results

The workshop is a key element in the 2011-2014 work programme of the Jean Monnet Project “Parliaments in the EU multi-level system after the Lisbon Treaty (Parl-EU)” by Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels. The results of the workshop have been published in: Abels, Gabriele/Eppler, Annegret (Eds.) 2016: Subnational Parliaments in the EU Multi-Level Parliamentary System. Taking Stock of the Post-Lisbon Era (Foster Europe - International Studies Series, Volume 3), Innsbruck: Studienverlag. 

Further information on the book at the publisher's website


Future functions of parliaments in the process of European integration

On the way to multi-level-governance?

International conference jointly organized with the Arbeitskreis Europäische Integration e.V.
Schloss Hohentübingen, May 26 - 27, 2011

Background

The aim of the conference was to analyse the developing practices of including (sub-)national parliaments into the process of European policy-making. Underlying was the question how multi-level-governance can be constituted empirically and theoretically. Do the new rights and their political use foster a new form of EU legitimacy and European multi-level-governance? Which specific challenges do parliaments face on different levels, if they seek to wield the variety of parliamentary functions in matter of the EU effectively?

Funding and Cooperation Partners

The conference is co-funded by the "Arbeitskreis Europäische Integration e.V." (AEI) and the European Commission's "Life Long Learning Programme". Cooperation Partners are the "Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung", the Reinhold-Maier-Stiftung Baden-Württemberg" and the "Robert Bosch Stiftung".

Speakers

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Tübingen

Dr. Katrin Auel, Institut für Höhere Studien Wien, Österreich

Prof. Dr. Timm Beichelt, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder

Prof. em. Dr. Frank Delmartino, Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften, Katholische Universität Löwen (Leuven), Belgien und Visiting Professor am Europakolleg Brügge, Belgien

Dr. Annegret Eppler, Ass. iur., Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Tübingen

Prof. Dr. Anna Gamper, Institut für Öffentliches Recht, Staats- und Verwaltungslehre, Universität Innsbruck, Österreich

Dr. des. Martin Große Hüttmann, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Tübingen

Peter Hauk MdL (CDU), Fraktionsvorsitzender der CDU-Fraktion, Landtag von Baden-Württemberg und Stellvertreter im Europaausschuss

Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kropp, Lehrstuhl für Politikwissenschaft, Deutsche Hochschule für Verwaltungswissenschaften, Speyer

Dr. Andreas Maurer, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin (zur Zeit Europäisches Parlament, Brüssel)

Dr. Jürgen Mittag, Geschäftsführer des Instituts für soziale Bewegungen und zugleich Geschäftsführer der Stiftung Bibliothek des Ruhrgebiets, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum

Ministerialrätin Ute Müller, Leiterin des Sekretariats des Ausschusses für Fragen der Europäischen Union, Geschäftsführerin der Europakammer, Bundesrat, Berlin

Prof. Dr. Mattias Niedobitek, Institut für Europäische Studien, Technische Universität Chemnitz

Carmen Preising, Stellvertretende Referatsleiterin, Generalsekretariat der Europäischen Kommission, Brüssel

Heide Rühle MdEP (Greens/EFA), Europäisches Parlament, Brüssel

Prof. Berthold Rittberger, D.Phil., Geschwister-Scholl-Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Dr. Henrik Scheller, Lehrstuhl 'Politik und Regieren in Deutschland und Europa', Universität Potsdam

Prof. Dr. Carina Sprungk, Otto-Suhr-Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Freie Universität Berlin

Alexandra Thein MdEP (FDP/ALDE-Fraktion), Europäisches Parlament, Brüssel und Straßburg

Ministerialrat Dr. Sven Vollrath, Leiter des Europareferates des Deutschen Bundestages, Berlin und Brüssel 

Rainer Wieland MdEP (EVP), Vizepräsident des Europäischen Parlaments, Stuttgart

Programme

Donnerstag, 26. Mai 2011

12.00 Uhr

Anreise und Imbiss

13.00 Uhr

Begrüßung durch die Veranstalterinnen

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels / Dr. Annegret Eppler, Ass. iur., Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Tübingen

13.10 Uhr

Eröffnungsvortrag

"Mehrebenenparlamentarismus: Miteinander oder gegeneinander? Die europäische Gretchenfrage"

Rainer Wieland MdEP (EVP), Vizepräsident des Europäischen Parlaments, Stuttgart

13.45 Uhr

Parlamente und ihre Herausforderungen

"Mehrebenenparlamentarismus – zur Rolle von Parlamenten nach dem Lissabon-Vertrag: konzeptionelle und empirische Fragen"

Dr. Andreas Maurer, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin (zur Zeit Europäisches Parlament, Brüssel) 

 

"Von Paris nach Lissabon: Die Institutionalisierung des Europäischen Parlaments"

Prof. Berthold Rittberger, D.Phil., Lehrstuhl für Politische Wissenschaft und Zeitgeschichte, Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften, Universität Mannheim

15.15 Uhr Kaffeepause
15.45 Uhr

Nationale Parlamente unter europäischem Einfluss

"Europäisierung der parlamentarischen Demokratie – theoretische Perspektiven und methodologische Herausforderungen"

Dr. Katrin Auel, Frankfurter Institut für Transformationsstudien, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder

 

"Die gesetzgebende Rolle der nationalen Exekutive im Mehrebenenparlamentarismus"

Prof. Dr. Timm Beichelt, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder

 

"Intergouvernementalisierung als Einschränkung von Parlamentarisierungsoptionen"

Dr. des. Martin Große Hüttmann, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Tübingen & Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt

17.30 Uhr Pause
19.00 Uhr

Podiumsdiskussion: Zur Zukunft des Parlamentarismus in der EU

  • Dr. Andreas Maurer, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin (zur Zeit Europäisches Parlament, Brüssel)
  • Dr. Katrin Auel, Frankfurter Institut für Transformationsstudien, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder
  • Heide Rühle MdEP (Greens/EFA), Europäisches Parlament, Brüssel
  • Peter Hauk MdL (CDU), Fraktionsvorsitzender der CDU-Fraktion, Landtag von Baden-Württemberg und Stellvertreter im Europaausschuss
  • Alexandra Thein MdEP (FDP/ALDE-Fraktion), Europäisches Parlament, Brüssel
  • Ministerialrat Dr. Sven Vollrath, Leiter des Europareferates des Deutschen Bundestages, Berlin und Brüssel

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels, Universität Tübingen

Begrüßung: Carmen Eger, Reinhold-Maier-Stiftung, Baden-Württemberg

Videoaufzeichnung

20.30 Uhr Empfang

 

Freitag, 27. Mai 2011

9.00 Uhr

Fallbeispiel Deutschland

"Die Integrationsverantwortung von Bundestag und Bundesrat nach dem "Lissabon-Urteil" des BVerfG"

Prof. Dr. Matthias Niedobitek, Institut für Europäische Studien, Technische Universität Chemnitz

 

"Die Umsetzung der neuen Rechte nach dem Vertrag von Lissabon durch den Deutschen Bundestag und die Begleitgesetzgebung – eine Herausforderung"

Ministerialrat Dr. Sven Vollrath, Leiter des Europareferates des Deutschen Bundestages, Berlin und Brüssel

 

"Die Umsetzung der Mitwirkungsrechte durch den Bundesrat"

Ministerialrätin Ute Müller, Leiterin des Sekretariats des Ausschusses für Fragen der Europäischen Union, Geschäftsführerin der Europakammer, Bundesrat, Berlin

10.30 Uhr Kaffeepause
11.00 Uhr

Problemdimensionen der Parlamentarisierung

"Same but different? Theoretische Überlegungen zum Beitrag des Lissabonner Vertrages zur Stärkung nationaler Parlamente in der EU"

Prof. Dr. Carina Sprungk, Otto-Suhr-Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Freie Universität Berlin


"Probleme nationaler Parlamente - Überlegungen auf der Mikro-Ebene"

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kropp, Lehrstuhl für Politikwissenschaft, Deutsche Hochschule für Verwaltungswissenschaften, Speyer

 

"Der Umgang nationaler Parlamente mit den neuen Rechten des Vertrags von Lissabon – die Perspektive der Europäischen Kommission"

Carmen Preising, Stellvertretende Referatsleiterin, Generalsekretariat der Europäischen Kommission, Brüssel

12.30 Uhr Mittagessen
13.30 Uhr

Die Rolle zweiter Kammern und subnationaler Parlamente

"Zweite Kammern und ihre Europaarbeit nach Lissabon – eine rechtswissenschaftliche Perspektive"

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Anna Gamper, Institut für Öffentliches Recht, Staats- und Verwaltungslehre, Universität Innsbruck, Österreich

 

"Subnationale Parlamente im EU 'Mehrebenenparlamentarismus'. Das Beispiel Belgien"

Prof. em. Dr. Frank Delmartino, Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften, Katholische Universität Löwen (Leuven), Belgien und Visiting Professor am Europakolleg Brügge, Belgien

 

"Wandel oder Kontinuität? Zur Europa-Arbeit der deutschen Landtage nach dem Lissabon-Vertrag und dem Lissabon-Urteil des Bundesverfassungsgerichts"

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Tübingen

15.00 Uhr Kaffeepause
15.30 Uhr

Parlamentarische Vernetzung im Mehrebenenparlamentarismus

"Vom Souverän zum Lobbyisten? Verstärkte bi- und multilaterale Zusammenarbeit von Parlamenten im EU-System"

Dr. Annegret Eppler, Ass. iur., Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Tübingen


"Politische Parteien als Bindeglied zwischen nationalen Parlamenten und dem Europäischen Parlament"

Dr. Jürgen Mittag, Geschäftsführer des Instituts für soziale Bewegungen und zugleich Geschäftsführer der Stiftung Bibliothek des Ruhrgebiets, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum


"Neue Kommunikationstechnologien als Herausforderung für die Parlamente in Europa - vom europäischen Mehrebenenparlamentarismus zum europäischen Parlamentsnetzwerk?"

Dr. Henrik Scheller, Lehrstuhl 'Politik und Regieren in Deutschland und Europa', Universität Potsdam

17.00 Uhr Abschlussdiskussion
18.00 Uhr Ende der Konferenz
Auf dem Weg zum Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels | Dr. Annegret Eppler (Hrsg.)
 2011: Mehrebenenparlamentarismus?  Funktion von Parlamenten im politischen System der EU
 (Schriftenreihe des Arbeitskreises Europäische Integration e.V., Bd. 75), Baden-Baden: Nomos.

Conference Proceedings

Through the parliamentarisation strategy of the Lisbon Treaty, parliaments in the EU system received new rights. Besides the European Parliament this also concerned the (sub-)national parliaments. Parliamentary governance under Europeanised conditions is accompanied by an extensive change of functions of parliaments and therefore it requires an intensive inter-parliamentary interconnection. The metaphor used to describe this “multi-level-parlamentarism” is to be extended to a theoretical concept. This publication contributes to this debate. The articles by political scientists and legal scholars, as well as practitioners of parliamentary administrations analyse a variety of conceptual, methodological and empirical aspects.

With contributions from: Gabriele Abels, Katrin Auel, Timm Beichelt, Jonas Buche, Aron Buzogány, Frank Delmartino, Yvonne Eich, Annegret Eppler, Anna Gamper, Stefan Götze, Martin Große Hüttmann, Michèle Knodt, Sabine Kropp, Andreas Maurer, Jürgen Mittag, Ute Müller, Matthias Niedobitek, Berthold Rittberger, Carmen Preising, Henrik Scheller, Carina Sprungk, Sven Vollrath. Including a preface by Rainer Wieland.

Table of Contents & Introductory Chapter

Nomos Online-Shop


Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels Invited to Expert Hearing in the Landtag

The European Affairs Committee of the Landtag Baden-Württemberg conducted a public expert consultation in March 2010, inquiring in how far consequences are to be drawn from the above mentioned judgement in respect to the participation of the Landtag in EU affairs. Prof. Abels was invited as an expert. You can download her full statement “Embracing the responsibility for integration – shaping participatory rights” here (in German). Based on the comment for the Landtag Baden-Württemberg, a research project was conducted which further investigated the activities and strategies of the German state parliament in comparison. The results are published in the journal "German Politics": “Adapting to Lisbon: Reforming the role of German Landesparlamente in EU Affairs”, German Politics 22 (4) 2013, pp. 353-378.