European Parliament 1999–2004

The 2004–2009 European Parliament (EP) was the first since the first elected Parliament of 1979–1984 not to see a treaty change increase its powers during its term of office. This was because of the failure of the Constitutional Treaty to secure ratification in all the member states. The only major increase in Parliament’s powers came through the reform of the ‘comitology’ procedures giving it a veto over delegated quasi-legislative decisions. Rather, this Parliament was marked by its making vigorous use of some of the powers which it had acquired over the previous decade. In particular, its standing as a co-legislator with the Council of Ministers strengthened, impacting more on the daily lives of people across Europe.