Bulletin n. 2/2015 | ||
September 2015 | ||
Marco Lunardelli |
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The Finnish Parliament and its scrutiny of EU matters: an efficient model | ||
in Nomos , 1/2014 , 2014 | ||
This paper aims at demonstrating that Finland’s parliamentary scrutiny of EU matters is particularly efficient and can be a model for other EU Member States. Even though the government is competent to deal with EU matters, the Finnish Parliament (the Eduskunta) is constitutionally empowered to participate in EU policy formulation. Deep involvement in the preparation of national positions on EU matters is consistent with the Eduskunta‘s “role as the supreme organ of state”. At the heart of the system laid down in the Constitution and the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure are parliamentary committees, especially the Grand Committee. The Parliament also enjoys the right to receive from the government comprehensive information enabling the Parliament itself to examine EU documents and express its view. As a result, Finland’s constitutional framework requires the government and the Parliament to steadily cooperate on EU matters. | ||