EP modifies Rules of Procedure to make decision-making more transparent.

European Parliament becomes more democratic

"We need to ensure that key decisions taken by the Parliament become more visible to the outside world. The technical work of our committees is important. However, the essential decisions need to be taken by the whole House and not only by a closed circle of experts", said Manfred Weber MEP and Marietta Giannakou MEP.

The European Parliament has voted to make the legislative process more open and democratic. "Our message is clear: no more back room deals! In the future, the plenary will more often be given the last word on important issues. The long efforts of the EPP Group to make our House more democratic have finally paid off", they continued.

The new rules will allow the Conference of Presidents to include a committee's decision to open negotiations with the Council on the agenda of the next plenary session. Should the Conference of Presidents decide not to place the item on the plenary agenda, a single political group (or at least 40 Members) will have the possibility to do so instead.

"With the entry-into-force of the Lisbon Treaty, the legislative clout of our House has increased significantly. By putting the key issues on the agenda of our plenary, we are placing them in the spotlight for the public", concluded Manfred Weber MEP and Marietta Giannakou MEP.