The 6th meeting of the Association of European Senates

Suggested questions to be dealt with during the 6^th Meeting of the Association of the European Senates by the participants from:

Member states of the European Union and Romania:

Legal premises (constitutional, statutory, regulatory) of the role played by the Senate in European Union affairs. Competencies of the Committee on EU Affairs and legal premises for its appointment.

Division of competencies in EU affairs between the Lower House and the Senate. Reasons for diversifying competencies between the two houses.

Government/Senate relations in EU affairs. Does the Senate play a supervisory and monitoring function with respect to the government as the EU legislator? Does it have a say in government appointments to EU institutions? How does it participate in the process of transposing EU laws onto national legislation?

Does the Senate participate in inter-parliamentary collaboration within the European Union and to what extent?

What is the assessment of currently binding regulations ensuring Senate's participation in EU affairs? Are there any changes planned in these regulations? If yes, what?

States outside the European Union (Russia, Switzerland, Bosnia & Herzegovina):

Have there been any plenary debates on European integration in the Senate? What problems associated with European integration have been raised most often?

Is there a differentiation of competencies in foreign and European integration affairs between the Lower House and the Senate?

Senate/government relations in foreign and European integration affairs. Is the Senate kept informed of these issues? Can it initiate legislation in these matters and can it supervise related government activities?

To what extent is the Senate involved in European inter-parliamentary collaboration?

What is the assessment of currently binding regulations ensuring Senate's participation in EU affairs? Are there any changes planned in these regulations? If yes, what?

Spain (pdf)