How does the conciliation procedure work?

Source: Zweeds voorzitterschap Europese Unie 2e helft 2009 i, published on Wednesday, November 4 2009.

The Conciliation Committee consists of two delegations: one from the Council of Ministers i with a representative from each of the 27 Member States, and one of the same size from the European Parliament i. The Commission i also participates in the work and acts as a mediator between the two other institutions. The committee has six weeks to draw up a joint text, based on the Council’s common position and the European Parliament’s proposed amendments.

The committee’s work can result in one of the following:

  • 1. 
    The Conciliation Committee approves the draft act. The draft is then returned to the Council and the European Parliament for formal adoption.
  • 2. 
    The Conciliation Committee is unable to agree on a draft text. The decision-making process is then broken off.

If the institutions agree on a new draft text in the Conciliation Committee (1), the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament have six weeks to adopt the new draft. With a couple of exceptions, the Council must reach a decision by qualified majority and the European Parliament by an absolute majority of its members (a minimum of 393 votes).

This procedure may have the following results:

  • 1. 
    If both institutions approve the Conciliation Committee’s draft text, the act will be adopted in accordance with the draft text and can be published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
  • 2. 
    If both or either of the institutions do not approve the draft text within this period, the decision-making process is broken off without an act being adopted.

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