ABSTRACT
This issue was considered in the context of the European Union and the surrender of a measure of national sovereignty required of the member states. The governing institutions of the community are: the European Par liament, an elected body with limited powers; the Council of Ministers on which each member state is represented by its foreign minister; and the European Commission which is elected by the European Parliament and which initiates legislative proposals. The powers of the European Parlia ment are largely consultative, but it shares control of the budget with the Council and has the right to adopt or reject it; it has limited legislative authority and can influence approximately one-third of the legislation pre sented to it; and it has a right of veto over international treaties and the admission of new members. The Council of Ministers is nevertheless the more powerful body as the Parliament cannot amend legislation against the Council’s will and it cannot force the Council to compromise, although the legality of the Council’s acts can be reviewed by the European Court of Justice. The powers of the European Parliament do not therefore compare with those of the national parliaments of the Union’s member states. For their part, the national parliaments have no authority over European legisla tion, although they try to subject it to scrutiny. The problem is that it is so complex and so prolific - over 2000 items poured forth between 1989 and 1995 - that adequate scrutiny is impossible.
