When adopting EU legislation: parliamentarians want to have a say

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The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council (APK-N) no longer wants to be able to stand by and watch when the Federal Council negotiates with the EU. The majority of the Commission also sees the need for action when it comes to adopting EU legislation – for example the Schengen Agreement, the Air Transport Agreement or participation in EU Joint Undertakings.

In order to be able to say more in the future, the APK-N is now calling for a permanent subcommittee for European affairs. The majority of the Commission believes that legal developments in the EU that are important to Switzerland and imminent should be more actively and closely monitored by a parliamentary body. In other words: the foreign politicians want to keep an eye on the Bundesrat. The APK-N approved the bill by a vote of 17 to 5.

Minority fears ‘wild growth’

The committee investigated different variants and came to the conclusion that a permanent subcommittee could work more flexibly than a plenary committee.

The minority, on the other hand, sees the establishment of a permanent subcommittee as “a wild growth in foreign policy”. It is not for a subcommittee to deal with legal developments in the EU. The minority also does not like the planned distribution key – one seat per group. She wants to assign mandates based on faction strength.

The National Council — and only it, as the grand chamber’s business regulations are affected — should discuss the bill in its fall session. The Bundesrat can comment on the proposal in advance. (dBA/SDA)

Source:Blick