EU law and treaties

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on European Union law and treaties. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
14.05.2012	The Croatia Accession Bill: an introduction
	Croatia is expected to join the EU in July 2013. A Croatia Accession Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech, would allow the UK to ratify Croatia's accession treaty. But issues around the judiciary, corruption and shipyards are not yet fully resolved.
10.05.2012	How the UK Government deals with EU Business
	This Note looks at UK Government and Civil Service structures and culture; what happens at the UK-EU interface, and methods for transposing EU law into UK law.
30.04.2012	EU migrants: entitlement to housing assistance (England)
	This note gives an overview of EU migrants' entitlement to social housing in England and considers the question of whether these people 'jump the housing queue.'
13.04.2012	EU bibliographies: European External Action Service
	This Note brings together documents relevant to the proposed legislation establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service and its scrutiny in the UK and the EU. It is not an attempt to define policy in this area. For information on the institutional issues or policy developments, contact Vaughne Miller on extn 4327 or Claire Taylor on extn 3852. See also SN/IA/5558 The European External Action Service
12.04.2012	National Parliaments and EU law-making: how is the 'yellow card' system working?
	This Note considers the background to the 'yellow card' subsidiarity early warning mechanism and its application in practice since the Lisbon Treaty came into force.

Research Papers

Date	Description
27.03.2012	The Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: political issues
	This paper looks at the background to the TSCG, the reasons for the UK's non-participation and some of the issues it raises, such as its effectiveness, its relationship with the EU Treaties and EU law, the use of the EU institutions in a non-EU treaty, and whether it could give rise to a 'two-speed' Europe and further UK isolation in the EU.
13.10.2010	How much legislation comes from Europe?
	This paper explores various approaches to the question of how much national law is based on or influenced by EU law.
08.10.2009	The Treaty of Lisbon after the Second Irish Referdum
	In a referendum on 2 October 2009 the Republic of Ireland voted by 67.1% to 32.9% in favour of ratifying the Treaty of Lisbon, having voted against its ratification in June 2008. Politically, the second vote was predicated on concessions agreed by the European Council in December 2008 and confirmed in June 2009 as 'guarantees' to be formalised in a protocol attached to the next accession treaty. The positive Irish vote was welcomed by the EU institutions and other Member States, but Poland and the Czech Republic still have not completed ratification. This paper looks at the background to the referendum and other ratification developments.
15.01.2008	European Union (Amendment) Bill [Bill 48 of 2007-08]
06.12.2007	The Treaty of Lisbon: amendments to the Treaty establishing the European Community.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
13.07.2011	Reasoned opinions on subsidiarity under the Lisbon Treaty.
	Procedure Select Committee report [Commons]
08.03.2011	Amending Article 136 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
	European Union Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]
01.02.2011	Implementing the Stockholm Programme: home affairs.
	European Union Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]
11.01.2011	EU Strategy for economic growth and the UK National Reform Programme.
	European Union Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]
10.01.2011	The EU Bill and Parliamentary sovereignty.
	Government response. European Scrutiny Committee; Foreign and Commonwealth Office report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
02.03.2011	REFERENDUM ON EU MEMBERSHIP
	That this House calls on the Government to give the British people a referendum on UK membership of the EU.
25.10.2010	CHANGES TO THE LISBON TREATY
	That this House notes the proposals floated by Germany and France to re-open the Lisbon Treaty in order to force Member States that find themselves in a severe financial crisis, as ...
24.06.2010	NUTRITION AND THE HEALTH CLAIMS REGULATION
	That this House notes that the UK natural health products industry currently faces a grave threat both to its businesses and consumer choices from the unforeseen impact of implementation ...
23.03.2010	DEPOSITING OF PAPERS WITH THE EUROPEAN SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
	That this House is concerned at the delay by the Government in depositing relevant papers with the European Scrutiny Committee; believes that following the entry into force of the Lisbon ...
18.01.2010	EUROPEAN PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
	That this House notes with concern that Article 69E, Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters, of the Treaty of Lisbon provides for the creation of a European Public Prosecutor's Office ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
16.05.2012	European Union (Approval of Treaty Amendment Decision) Bill (HL Bill 3 of 2012-13)
	This Library Note provides background reading in advance of the second reading in the House of Lords of the European Union (Approval of Treaty Amendment Decision) Bill [HL] on 23 May 2012.
10.02.2012	Debate on 16 February: Recent Developments in the European Union
	This Library Note considers reaction to recent developments in the EU, ahead of the debate in the House of Lords on 16 February 2012.
09.02.2012	The European Union Today
	This Library Note provides a broad outline of the history and development of the European Union; and presents statistics comparing the EU to the US, Japan, China and Russia.

POST Papers

Date	Description
15.05.2012	Bioenergy
	Bioenergy is the use of renewable natural material for power, heat and liquid fuels. Currently, the UK sources approximately 3% of its primary energy from bioenergy feedstocks. This POSTnote considers the opportunities and challenges of producing bioenergy sustainably to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets.
01.07.2009	Environmental noise, July 2009
	This POSTnote examines the effects of noise, the EU Environmental Noise Directive (END) and practical measures for noise management.
01.06.2009	Crop protection, June 2009
	The pesticide approvals process in Europe is changing. This POSTnote explores the potential implications for UK agriculture and horticulture and examines other crop protection strategies available that complement or compensate for pesticides.