Rules of Procedure: powerfull tool of the European Parliament?

This text analyses the development of internal procedures within the European Parliament through modifications to the Rules of Procedure, and how this impacts the legislative powers of the institution. The work assumes that the treaty revisions must be studied in a wider context to fully understand its real impact on European institutions and the EU as a whole. For a complete understanding of the European Parliament’s legislative role in the EU, it is not enough to chart formal increases to its powers in treaties; it is necessary to examine how these formal changes in law and treaties are reflected in the Parliament’s internal reforms. The aim of the text is to examine revisions to the EP Rules of Procedure, provide its analysis in historical sequence and to verify the hypothesis that the Rules of Procedure present an instrument through which this European institution can maximize its potential in the legislative sphere.