National parliaments and EU economic performance policies. Impact defines involvement?

Abstract

In recent years, decision-making on economic performance policies – macroeconomic stability and structural reforms – has evolved from a system based on Broad Economic Policy Guidelines into a full-fledged part of the European Semester, including the possibility to sanction Member States. This suggests an increased role for national parliaments to ensure the democratic legitimacy of EU decision-making. But this need for democratic legitimacy is qualified by the impacts of economic performance policies in and on the Member States. This contribution assesses these impacts by reviewing arguments derived from (a) the applicable legal framework and prior research that has been carried out and (b) by conducting a comparative analysis of the policy dialogues with Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in 2014 (based primarily on National Reform Programmes and Country Specific Recommendations). Next, an assessment is made of how parliaments in these countries have been involved concretely in economic performance policies.