Parliament's legislative initiative

Briefing 24-10-2013

The European Commission has a near monopoly on legislative initiative in the European Union (EU), with special initiative rights for other institutions applying only in certain specific cases. However, the European Parliament (EP) has the right to invite the Commission to present legislative proposals. Many see the EP's increasing participation in overall political planning, particularly through negotiations on the Commission's Annual Work Programme, as a further channel for Parliament's influence on EU legislation.