§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the formal 574W provisions whereby member Governments may object to, or seek the revocation of, delegated legislation or proposals for delegated legislation which emanate from the European Commission; and what provisions exist in the case of the European Parliament.
§ Mr. HurdUnder the European Economic Community Treaty, most important Community legislation is enacted by the Council on the basis of proposals from the Commission. It is thus open to any member Government to object to or seek changes in the Commission's proposals before the Council takes its final decisions. On many important questions, the European Parliament must be consulted before the Council can take its decisions. The Council and the Commission are not, however, normally bound to act in accordance with Parliament's wishes.
In some areas of Community activity, notably the common agricultural policy, authority has been delegated to the Commission to enact secondary legislation to give effect to the policy established by the Council. Draft Commission legislation in this area is often subject to examination by management committees, in which representatives of member Governments may express their views.
A complete list of all the relevant provisions would be lengthy, and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.