The Saeima Presidium and heads of committees and parliamentary groups decided at a special meeting on 3 December that the Saeima will become actively involved in the EU legislative process by using the opportunities provided by the European Union (EU) Treaty of Lisbon.

During the meeting, Mr. Gundars Daudze, Speaker of the Saeima, emphasised: “On 1 December, the Lisbon Treaty came into force. It will enable parliaments of member states to have a greater influence on the process of drafting EU legislative acts. This is both a good opportunity to protect our national interests and a huge responsibility. That is why it is essential to make full use of the innovations concerning the legislative process that were introduced by the Lisbon Treaty.”

Ms. Vaira Paegle, Chairperson of the Saeima European Affairs Committee, also pointed out: “The Saeima has a good chance of positioning itself as an active player in solving European Union issues and protecting our national interests. Everything depends on us. The more actively we become involved in solving EU issues, the better our image in Europe will be.”

The Saeima will issue its decision as to whether the EU legislative initiatives comply with the subsidiarity and proportionality principle. In accordance with the Lisbon Treaty, if parliaments of at least nine EU member states object to a draft legislative act, this legislative initiative must be revised.

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