Introduction. parliaments in the composite European constitution / Cristina Fasone and Nicola Lupo -- The place of national parliaments within the European constitutional order / Leonard Besselink -- Interjudicial dialogue and interparliamentary dialogue in the constitution of the Union / Giuseppe Martinico -- The convention method / Cesare Pinelli -- Interparliamentary cooperation and the simplified revision procedures / Katarzyna Granat -- Bicameralism and interparliamentary cooperation / Antonia Baraggia -- Standing committees in interparliamentary cooperation in the post-Lisbon era : towards the end of the European affairs committees' predominance? / Diane Fromage -- Towards a more politicised interparliamentary cooperation? : the European Parliament's political groups and the European parliamentary week / Nathalie Brack and Thibaud Deruelle -- The role of parliamentary administrations in interparliamentary cooperation / Andreja Pegan andAnna-Lena Högenauer -- The instrumental value of horizontal parliamentary cooperation : subsidiarity review and the political dialogue / Marco Goldoni -- Parliamentary involvement in the economic and monetary union after the Euro crisis / Davor Jančić -- COSAC : birth, evolution, failures and perspectives / Adam Cygan -- The interparliamentary conference on common foreign and security policy : a quest for democratic accountability in EU security governance / Jan Wouters and Kolja Raube -- The interparliamentary conference on stability, economic coordination and governance in the European Union (the "article 13 conference") / Ian Cooper -- Ruling the (dis- )order of interparliamentary cooperation? : the EU speakers' conference / Cristina Fasone -- The role of COSAC in the Europeanisation of national parliaments and in the evolution of interparliamentary cooperation / Davide A Capuano -- The role of COSAC in the changing environment of national parliaments in the EU : an identity crisis? / Bruno A Dias Pinheiro -- The role of the COSAC secretariat within the evolving landscape of interparliamentary cooperation : challenges for the future / Christiana Fryda -- Interparliamentary cooperation in the context of COSAC : a view from the European Parliament / Francisco Gcentmez Martos -- The role of COSAC in EU interparliamentary cooperation: an (endless) quest for an identity / Antonio Esposito -- Reshaping COSAC as a dynamic venue for interparliamentary exchange / Mendeltje van Keulen -- Conclusion : interparliamentary cooperation in the framework of a Euro-national parliamentary system / Cristina Fasone and Nicola Lupo

"The Lisbon Treaty states that national Parliaments shall contribute to a better functioning of the EU. Can they really do it and therefore enrich the European democracy? How far can they extend their original sovereignty without distorting political responsibilities that should be geared upon the European Parliament? The authors analyze the experience of the Italian Parliament under the light of these crucial questions and their exhaustive answers are greatly helpful to the readers of all over Europe." Giuliano Amato, Judge of the Italian Constitutional Court. This important new collection explores the role of the Italian Parliament in the Euro-national parliamentary system as an example of an increased role for national parliaments within the composite European constitutional order. It illustrates how parliamentary interactions within the European Union are highly systematic, with integrated procedures and mutual interdependence between the various institutions and stakeholders. The book argues that this dynamic is vital for both the functioning and the future equilibrium of democracy in the EU. This is significant, particularly given the challenges posed to democracy within the EU institutions and the Member States. Notwithstanding its peculiarities (a symmetrical bicameral system in which both Houses are directly elected, hold the same powers and are linked through a confidence relationship with the government), the Italian Parliament deserves specific attention as a lively active player of the European polity. The grid for its analysis proposed by this collection may also be applied to other national parliaments, so contributing to the development of comparative research in this field.

This collection analyses the place and the functioning of interparliamentary cooperation in the EU composite constitutional order, taking into account both the European and the national dimensions. The chapters join the recent scholarship on the role of parliaments in the EU after the Treaty of Lisbon.The aim of this volume is to highlight the constitutional significance of interparliamentary cooperation as a permanent feature of EU democracy and as a new parliamentary function as well as to investigate the practical side of this relatively new phenomenon. To this end the contributors are academics and parliamentary officials from all over Europe. The volume discusses the developments in interparliamentary cooperation and its implications for the organisation and procedures of national parliaments and the European Parliament, for the fragmented executive of the EU, and for the democratic legitimacy of the overall EU composite Constitution. These issues are examined by looking at the European legislative process, the European Semester and the Treaty revisions. Moreover, the contributions take into account the effects of interparliamentary cooperation on the internal structure of parliaments and analyse the different models of interparliamentary cooperation, ie from COSAC to the new Interparliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the European Union provided by the Fiscal Compact.

This collection analyses the place and the functioning of interparliamentary cooperation in the EU composite constitutional order, taking into account both the European and the national dimensions. The chapters join the recent scholarship on the role of parliaments in the EU after the Treaty of Lisbon.The aim of this volume is to highlight the constitutional significance of interparliamentary cooperation as a permanent feature of EU democracy and as a new parliamentary function as well as to investigate the practical side of this relatively new phenomenon. To this end the contributors are academics and parliamentary officials from all over Europe. The volume discusses the developments in interparliamentary cooperation and its implications for the organisation and procedures of national parliaments and the European Parliament, for the fragmented executive of the EU, and for the democratic legitimacy of the overall EU composite Constitution. These issues are examined by looking at the European legislative process, the European Semester and the Treaty revisions. Moreover, the contributions take into account the effects of interparliamentary cooperation on the internal structure of parliaments and analyse the different models of interparliamentary cooperation, ie from COSAC to the new Interparliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the European Union provided by the Fiscal Compact.

In this inaugural address the author discusses the nature of the European constitutional order, understood as the sum total of national constitutions and the EU constitutional order. He points out some of the shortcomings of describing this as a 'multilevel' constitutional order, which hinges on ideas of the autonomy and separateness of the various constitutional orders. In this respect thinking in 'levels' is a symptom of hierarchical structures, which cannot adequately explain the present constitutional arrangement in Europe. Instead of this, he argues for understanding the European constitu.

In today’s increasingly complex and interdependent world, the role of parliaments in external affairs remains a relatively under explored topic of research. The multiple patterns of global governance are mostly dominated by the executive branches of government, with parliaments relegated to the sidelines. This insightful book aims to challenge this dominant perspective and demonstrate the increased networking of parliaments both within the EU and with external actors outside the EU. It not only sheds light on EU parliamentary cooperation and networking, but also reveals the growing scope and role of parliamentary scrutiny, control and conflict mediation.

A critical assessment by eminent legal and political science experts in the field, this book examines the two key factors which have deeply affected the position of national parliaments in European integrations: the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone. Structured in three parts, the book will address the question, 'Do national parliaments exhibit resilience or resignation in these changed politico-legal and socio-economic circumstances in the EU?' Part I investigates the impact of the aforementioned factors against the theoretical concepts of constitutionalism and democratic legitimacy. Part II evaluates the changing nature of parliamentary functions, and Part III appraises the evolving relationships between national parliaments and national governments, national courts, and EU institutions, in addition to surveying the emerging patterns of interparliamentary cooperation. This interdisciplinary collection yields novel insights into how the deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union and the pursuance of new initiatives for parliamentary action impact the shape and nature of EU democracy.