Relations between the European Parliament and the National Parliaments

The Lisbon Treaty strengthens the role played by the National Parliaments with regard to ensuring that the competences between the Union and the Member States are shared in a balanced manner.

An early warning mechanism has been established: it will enable prior control of the Commission’s proposals by the National Parliaments even before the European Parliament or the Council have been able to examine the texts. The National Parliaments will have to indicate in the event of any infringement of the subsidiarity principle by the European institutions.
Beyond one third (a quarter in the area of Justice and Internal Affairs) of negative opinions on the part of the national parliaments, the Commission will have to review its proposals.

The treaty also includes ex post judicial control : each chamber of each national parliament will be able to lodge a complaint with the EU’s Court of Justice for the infringement of the subsidiarity principle..