Commission and European Parliament sign agreement fostering closer partnership

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.

Today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola signed the revised Framework Agreement between both institutions. This agreement enhances cooperation amongst the Commission and the European Parliament, strengthens representative democracy, improves dialogue and ensures greater transparency. It establishes an updated cooperation framework to ensure that the Commission and the European Parliament cooperate seamlessly, in full respect of the institutional balance and prerogatives conferred by the European Treaties. The agreement will enter into force immediately upon publication in the EU Official Journal.

This revision follows a commitment of President von der Leyen in her political guidelines and the set of principles agreed between President von der Leyen and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The latest version of the agreement was signed in 2010, following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

President Ursula von der Leyen said: “When citizens look to Europe for answers, they look to the European Union as a whole. To deliver as best as we can for all our citizens, the EU institutions must work together even more closely. This agreement underlines our commitment and cooperation to this shared goal.”

The Commission agreed to continue following up on legislative initiatives adopted by the European Parliament. In doing so, the Commission will strictly adhere to the principles of proportionality, subsidiarity, and better regulation. The Parliament in the preparation of such resolutions will provide detailed reports on the necessity, financial implications and burdens of such initiatives.

The Commission will continue to ensure even further clear and transparent information with the Parliament. When proposing legal acts under the EU’s “Emergency Clause”, which allows the EU to bypass normal legislative procedures on an exceptional basis in case of crisis, the Commission will provide a full justification and explanation to the European Parliament immediately upon adopting its proposal. The Commission agreed to also inform the Parliament and its committees in a timely and comprehensive manner when proposing initiatives that were not foreseen in the Commission work programme.

With the revised agreement, the Commission committed to foster the presence of Commissioners in plenary and committee meetings when requested by the Parliament. The European Parliament committed to regularly assess how to improve the presence of its members during plenary debates.

The European Parliament will be duly informed on international agreements. The Commission will inform the Parliament and provide justification as early as possible whenever it intends to apply international agreements provisionally. In such cases, the Parliament will endeavour to organise the consent procedure as quickly as possible.

Background

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, made it her priority to strengthen the partnership between the European Commission and the European Parliament. In her 2024-2029 Political Guidelines, President von der Leyen committed to revise the Framework Agreement between the European Commission and European Parliament. This agreement follows the set of principles agreed between President von der Leyen and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in October 2024 to strengthen partnership between their two institutions.