European Scrutiny Committee

The European Scrutiny Committee assesses the legal and/or political importance of each EU document (about 1,100 per year) and decides which are debated. The Committee receives an Explanatory Memorandum on each document from the relevant Minister. All documents deemed politically or legally important are discussed in the Committee's weekly Reports.

Debates recommended by the Committee take place either in a European Committee or (more rarely) on the Floor of the House. Under the scrutiny reserve resolution passed by the House, Ministers should not agree to proposals which the Committee has not cleared or which are waiting for debate.

The Committee also monitors the activities of UK Ministers in the Council (through parliamentary questions and sometimes by questioning Ministers in person), and sometimes conducts general inquiries into legal, procedural or institutional developments in the EU. The Committee is appointed under Standing Order No. 143 and has 16 members.

Ministerial Correspondence by Session

Formal Minutes by Session

 2009-10 (current session) 2008-09 | 2007-08  | 2006-07  | 2005-06  |  2004-05

Latest News:

Oral evidence from Chris Bryant MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Wednesday 28 October 2009 on scrutiny issues relating to the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty.

The Transcript of the evidence session is now available.