Co-Decision Procedure and the Democratic Deficit Issue in the European Union

Summary/Abstract: The Maastricht Treaty introduced the co-decision procedure in order to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the European Union. Utilizing this premise, the present study investigates whether the legislative co-decision procedure has constituted a real step forward in providing stronger democratic supervision in areas where it applies. Its aim is to examine whether an increase in European Parliament's power would necessarily determine an increase in European Union's democratic legitimacy. The study attempts to asses the European Parliament's ability to influence the outcome of the legislative process using an empirical case emphasizing also the significance of the less tangible and non-quantifiable influence exerted by informal dialogues on earlier stages of the decision-making process which are mainly guided by a "quid pro quo" principle.

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