House of Commons - European Scrutiny

Select Committee on European Scrutiny Twenty-Eighth Report

Standing order and membership

The European Scrutiny Committee is appointed under Standing Order No.143 to examine European Union documents and—

a) to report its opinion on the legal and political importance of each such document and, where it considers appropriate, to report also on the reasons for its opinion and on any matters of principle, policy or law which may be affected;

b) to make recommendations for the further consideration of any such document pursuant to Standing Order No. 119 (European Standing Committees); and

c) to consider any issue arising upon any such document or group of documents, or related matters.

The expression "European Union document" covers —

i) any proposal under the Community Treaties for legislation by the Council or the Council acting jointly with the European Parliament;

ii) any document which is published for submission to the European Council, the Council or the European Central Bank;

iii) any proposal for a common strategy, a joint action or a common position under Title V of the Treaty on European Union which is prepared for submission to the Council or to the European Council;

iv) any proposal for a common position, framework decision, decision or a convention under Title VI of the Treaty on European Union which is prepared for submission to the Council;

v) any document (not falling within (ii), (iii) or (iv) above) which is published by one Union institution for or with a view to submission to another Union institution and which does not relate exclusively to consideration of any proposal for legislation;

vi) any other document relating to European Union matters deposited in the House by a Minister of the Crown.

The Committee's powers are set out in Standing Order No. 143.

The scrutiny reserve resolution, passed by the House, provides that Ministers should not give agreement to EU proposals which have not been cleared by the European Scrutiny Committee, or on which, when they have been recommended by the Committee for debate, the House has not yet agreed a resolution. The scrutiny reserve resolution is printed with the House's Standing Orders, which are available at www.parliament.uk.

Current membership

Michael Connarty MP (Labour, Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (Chairman)

Mr Adrian Bailey MP (Labour/Co-op, West Bromwich West)

Mr David S. Borrow MP (Labour, South Ribble)

Mr William Cash MP (Conservative, Stone)

Mr James Clappison MP (Conservative, Hertsmere)

Ms Katy Clark MP (Labour, North Ayrshire and Arran)

Jim Dobbin MP (Labour, Heywood and Middleton)

Mr Greg Hands MP (Conservative, Hammersmith and Fulham)

Mr David Heathcoat-Amory MP (Conservative, Wells)

Keith Hill MP (Labour, Streatham)

Kelvin Hopkins MP (Labour, Luton North)