What changed

PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DECISION

P10_TA(2026)0069

on the revision of the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission

(2025/2243(ACI))

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

PE781.475

European Parliament decision of 11 March 2026 on the revision of the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission (2025/2243(ACI))

– having regard to the draft Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the Commission,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (A10-0031/2026),

A. whereas the Treaties provide for an express legal basis for interinstitutional agreements, which allows for the conclusion of such agreements in compliance with the Treaties, including the principle of conferral, which does not allow for any extension of the competences of the EU institutions beyond the scope of the Treaties,Treaties;

B. whereas the Treaty on the European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union place the Parliament on an equal footing with the Council in the ordinary legislative procedure and in budgetary matters, and enhances its role in the EU’s external policy, with the exception of the role relating to Common Foreign and Security Policy,Policy;

C. whereas Article 122 TFEU provides for a legal basis for the Council to adopt exceptional measures on the basis of a proposal from the Commission,Commission;

D. whereas Article 225 TFEU confers on the Parliament a right of initiative to request the Commission to submit a proposal for a Union act,act;

E. whereas the Framework Agreement on relations between the Parliament and the Commission dates back to 2010, and interinstitutional cooperation has evolved significantly since then, as reflected in the “Parliament 2024” reform and the subsequent revision of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure adopted in April 2024; and whereas the Framework Agreement seeks to ensure consistency with the Treaties and to give practical effect to the European Parliament’s control, scrutiny and budgetary prerogatives,prerogatives;

F. whereas the two Institutions attach the utmost importance to the principle of institutional balance and the principle of mutual sincere cooperation, as enshrined in Article 13(2) TEU,TEU;

G. whereas a joint assessment of the implementation of the Framework Agreement carried out at technical level, in agreement with the President of the Commission, emphasised the need to update and improve some of its provisions so as to better reflect the institutional balance and to fully implement Parliament’s prerogatives as enshrined in the Treaties, in respect of Parliament’s legislative, budgetary and scrutiny prerogatives,prerogatives;

1. Considers the revised agreement to be an institutional advance for Parliament in its relations with the Commission, while stressing that any such advance must have a basis in the Treaties; considers that the revised agreement strengthens political responsibility and legitimacy, extends constructive dialogue, improves the flow of information between the two Institutions and improves cooperation on procedures and planning, including powers of scrutiny and inquiry;

2. Welcomes, in particular, the following improvements contained in the revised agreement:

-– the affirmation of the principle of equal treatment of Parliament and Council and the role of the Commission as an honest broker, in particular by ensuring a comprehensive, timely, detailed and transparent flow of information to Parliament enabling meaningful democratic scrutiny, as shown by the commitment to inform the Parliament of policy initiatives and legislative proposals not included in the Commission Work Programme, and to present key initiatives in plenary immediately after their adoption by the college of commissioners;

-– the obligation of the President-elect to present to Parliament detailed information on the composition of the incoming College of Commissioners, including its planned structure;

-– the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that its impact assessments are conducted under its responsibility through a transparent procedure that guarantees an independent assessment;

-– the strengthening of the Commission’s political accountability by ensuring the presence of the competent Members of the Commission in Parliament, both in plenary and in committees;

-– the assurance that Members of the Commission will in general be summoned by Parliament as part of its political oversight function, and that Parliament can request that a specific commissioner be present in plenary where an agenda item so justifies; in particular, the assurance that, during Question Time, for a duration of up to 90 minutes, Members of the Commission whose portfolios relate to the theme of the questions will be present, in order to ensure a meaningful, open, and democratic debate between Members of the European Parliament and Members of the Commission;

-– the obligation for Members of the Commission to attend committee meetings, and that only in the event that the presence of a commissioner is not explicitly required, can he or she be replaced by a high-ranking official who is in a position to provide substantive answers to questions from the committee members;

-– the commitment of the Commission that, whenever it intends to withdraw a proposal, the competent Member of the Commission will attend the committees’ meetings to discuss that intention;

-– the commitment of the Commission to provide a comprehensive justification of, and information on, the exceptional and emergency cases where its proposals are based on Article 122 TFEU, both when submitting the request to Parliament and after the implementation of the legal act concerned;

-– the strengthening of Parliament’s right of initiative under Article 225 TFEU, including proposals to amend or repeal existing legislation, by enhancing the follow-up by the Commission to Parliament’s requests;

-– the commitment of the Commission that, whenever it requests the Parliament to decide urgently on a proposal, it will do so in writing and provide a justification for the request;

-– the improved flow of information regarding international agreements at all stages of the negotiation, thereby strengthening democratic accountability and transparency in external policy;

3. Considers that democratic scrutiny over the Commission not only requires an appropriate legal framework, but also a sense of political responsibility and commitment; draws attention to the formal exchange between Members of Parliament and the Commission during the plenary session, including during Question Time, as a cornerstone of European democracy; commits to further invest in and to foster a parliamentary culture so that attendance of those sessions is ensured on both sides, enabling a meaningful and substantive exchange between Parliament and Commission;

4. Regrets the Commission’s failure to indicate whether new legislative initiatives will be accompanied by an impact assessment, and to provide a proper justification where no impact assessment is provided;

5. Expects the Commission to fully comply with both the new and existing provisions of the Agreement. Regular monitoring by the European Parliament of the Agreement’s implementation should be put in place from its entry into force;

5. Calls upon the Commission, in light of the revised agreement, and in its role as guardian of the Treaties, to renew its efforts to fulfil the obligation in Article 226 TFEU and facilitate the adoption of a regulation governing the exercise of the European Parliament's right of inquiry, which remains long overdue; expects the Commission to honour the principle of mutual sincere cooperation when assessing Parliament's proposals on the matter and cooperate in good faith with the European Parliament to resolve any outstanding issues;

6. Approves the conclusion of the agreement annexed hereto;

6. Expects the Commission to fully comply with both the new and existing provisions of the Agreement. Regular monitoring by the European Parliament of the Agreement’s implementation should be put in place from its entry into force;

7. Instructs its President to sign the agreement with the President of the Commission and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

7. Approves the conclusion of the agreement annexed hereto;

8. Instructs its President to forwardsign thisthe decision,agreement includingwith itsthe annex,President toof the Council,Commission theand Commission,arrange andfor theits parliamentspublication ofin the MemberOfficial States,Journal forof information.the European Union;

9. Instructs its President to forward this decision, including its annex, to the Council, the Commission, and the parliaments of the Member States, for information.

ANNEX: FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

V. THE COMMISSION’S PARTICIPATION IN PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS

57. The Commission shall be present, when requested, at the plenary sittings or other meetings of ParliamentThe Commission shall ensure that Members of the Commission are present at plenary sittings either to cover agenda items falling under their responsibility or upon a specific request by Parliament as part of its political oversight function, except when there are duly justified reasons for their nonattendance. Where specific circumstances of an agenda item so justify, Parliament may request that a specific Member of the Commission should be present in plenary.

57. The Commission shall be present, when requested, at the plenary sittings or other meetings of Parliament.

The Commission shall ensure that Members of the Commission are present at plenary sittings either to cover agenda items falling under their responsibility or upon a specific request by Parliament as part of its political oversight function, except when there are duly justified reasons for their nonattendance. Where specific circumstances of an agenda item so justify, Parliament may request that a specific Member of the Commission should be present in plenary.

Where changes are made to the plenary agendas, the Commission will make every effort to ensure appropriate representation corresponding to the agenda items.

(d) RESTREINT UE/EU RESTRICTED: this classification shall be applied to information and material the unauthorised disclosure of which could be disadvantageous to the interests of the Union or of one or more of the Member States.

1.2.3. 'Sensitive non-classified (SNC) information' shall mean any information or material other than EUCI that must be protected because of legal obligations laid down in the Treaties or in acts adopted in implementation thereof or because of its sensitivity, including information covered by the obligation of professional secrecy. 1.3. In accordance with the provisions of this Annex, the Commission shall forward to Parliament EUCI and SNC information in a timely manner to enable Parliament to exercise its role under the Treaties. It shall do so on its own initiative or at the request, which should be made in a timely manner, of one of the parliamentary bodies or office-holders mentioned in point 1.4. 1.4. In the context of this Annex, the following may request EUCI and SNC information from the Commission:

1.3. In accordance with the provisions of this Annex, the Commission shall forward to Parliament EUCI and SNC information in a timely manner to enable Parliament to exercise its role under the Treaties. It shall do so on its own initiative or at the request, which should be made in a timely manner, of one of the parliamentary bodies or office-holders mentioned in point 1.4.

1.4. In the context of this Annex, the following may request EUCI and SNC information from the Commission:

– the President of Parliament,

EUCI and SNC information that originates from a Member State, another institution, an international organisation or a third country shall be forwarded, downgraded or declassified only with its consent.

2.2. EUCI and SNC information shall be forwarded to and handled and protected by Parliament in compliance with common minimum standards of security applied by the two Institutions. When classifying information for which it is the originator, the Commission shall ensure that it applies appropriate levels of classification in line with international standards and definitions and its internal rules, whilst taking due account of the need for Parliament to be able to access EUCI for the effective exercise of its competences and prerogatives.

When classifying information for which it is the originator, the Commission shall ensure that it applies appropriate levels of classification in line with international standards and definitions and its internal rules, whilst taking due account of the need for Parliament to be able to access EUCI for the effective exercise of its competences and prerogatives.

2.3. In the event of any doubt as to the confidential nature of an item of information or its appropriate level of classification, or where it is necessary to lay down the appropriate arrangements for it to be forwarded in accordance with one of the options set out in point 3.2., the two Institutions shall consult each other without delay and before transmission of the document. In these consultations, Parliament shall be represented by the chair of the parliamentary body concerned, accompanied, where necessary, by the rapporteur, or the office-holder who submitted the request. The Commission shall be represented by the Member of the Commission with responsibility for that area, after consultation of the Member of the Commission responsible for security matters. In the event of a disagreement, the matter shall be referred to the Presidents of the two Institutions so that they may resolve the dispute.

2.4. If, at the end of the procedure referred to in point 2.3., no agreement has been reached, the President of Parliament, in response to a reasoned request from the parliamentary body/office-holder who submitted the request, shall call on the Commission to forward, within the appropriate deadline duly indicated, the EUCI and SNC information in question,selectingquestion, selecting the arrangements from among the options laid down in point 3.2. of this Annex. Before the expiry of that deadline, the Commission shall inform Parliament in writing of its final position, in respect of which Parliament reserves the right, if appropriate, to exercise its right to seek redress.

2.5. Access to EUCI shall be granted in accordance with applicable rules for personnel security clearance.

2.5.1. Access to information classified as "TRÈS“TRÈS SECRET UE /EU TOP SECRET",SECRET”, "SECRET“SECRET UE/EU SECRET"SECRET” and "CONFIDENTIEL“CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL"CONFIDENTIAL” may only be granted to officials, temporary and contract staff working in the General Secretariat or in a political group of the Parliament and seconded national experts for whom that information is strictly necessary, who have been designated as having a need to know and who have been given an appropriate security clearance.

2.5.2. In light of Parliament's prerogatives and competences, the President of Parliament may grant access to CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL information to a Member to whom no access is provided by virtue of their function in accordance with the national law of the Member State in which the Member was elected and who cannot obtain an appropriate security clearance due to the lack of such a procedure in the Member State in which the Member was elected, after that Member has signed a solemn declaration not to disclose that information to any third person, and provided that Parliament has not received information from a competent National Security Authority advising against the granting of such access.

Access to "SECRET“SECRET UE/EU SECRET"SECRET” information shall be granted to Members who have been given an appropriate security clearance or are provided access to EUCI by virtue of their function in accordance with national law.

2.5.3. Details of the category or categories of persons for whom access to the EUCI and SNC information is requested shall be communicated simultaneously with the request.

More specifically, EUCI classified as “CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL” and “SECRET UE/EU SECRET” shall be forwarded from the competent Commission EUCI registry to Parliament’s EUCI Registry, which will be responsible for making it available to the parliamentary body/office-holder who submitted the request.

The forwarding of EUCI classified as “TRÈS SECRET UE/EU TOP SECRET"SECRET” shall be subject to further arrangements, agreed between the Commission and the parliamentary body/office-holder who submitted the request, aimed at ensuring a level of protection commensurate with that classification.

3.2. Without prejudice to the provisions of points 2.2., 2.3., and 2..,2.4., access and the arrangements designed to preserve the confidentiality of the information shall be laid down by common accord before the information is forwarded. That accord between the Member of the Commission with responsibility for the policy area involved and the parliamentary body (represented by its chair)/office-holder who submitted the request, shall in particular provide for the selection of one of the options set out in points 3.2.1. and 3.2.2. in order to ensure the appropriate level of confidentiality.

3.2.1. Regarding the addressees of EUCI, provision should be made for one of the following options:

10. This timetable shall not prejudice any future agreement on interinstitutional programming.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The new Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission constitutes a major step forward in consolidating and modernising the interinstitutional relationship in light of the post-Lisbon treaty framework and Parliament’s evolving role. For the first time since the 2010 Agreement (as amended in 2018), the two institutions have undertaken a comprehensive update that strengthens democratic accountability, improves legislative cooperation, and enhances Parliament’s capacity to exercise political oversight.

First, the Agreement significantly reinforces the principle of equal treatment of Parliament and the Council. The Commission commits to act as an honest broker between co-legislators and to ensure a comprehensive, timely and detailed flow of information, not only with respect to items contained in the Commission Work Programme but also regarding upcoming initiatives outside it. The Agreement deepens the structured political dialogue between the two institutions and provides mechanisms for advance notice of major initiatives, including their presentation in plenary immediately after adoption by the College. These innovations respond directly to Parliament’s long-standing concerns regarding transparency and access to information.

Second, the Agreement modernises and strengthens the political responsibility of the Commission. The President-elect will present to Parliament political guidelines and detailed information on the structure and gender balance of the incoming College, thereby reinforcing the democratic legitimacy of the investiture process. Importantly, the Commission accepts the obligation to ensure the presence of Commissioners in plenary and committees when requested, and to draw up annual schedules for structured dialogues.

Third, the revised text substantially enlarges Parliament’s practical ability to exercise scrutiny, especially in the field of international agreements. Parliament will now be immediately and fully informed at all stages of negotiation, including on non-binding instruments such as memoranda of understanding. New commitments concerning provisional application, notification periods, and access to confidential information contribute to predictable consent procedures and avoid situations in which Parliament is confronted with a fait accompli.

Fourth, the Agreement strengthens Parliament’s indirect right of initiative under Article 225 TFEU. The Commission commits to closer cooperation during the preparatory phase, to detailed written follow-up within three months, and—where appropriate—to come forward with a legislative proposal within one year or to justify thoroughly any decision not to do so. New provisions on pilot projects linked to Article 225 requests further align the Agreement with the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making.

Finally, an important innovation concerns the Commission’s use of Article 122 TFEU, an exceptional legal basis enabling the adoption of measures in situations of severe difficulty or energy-supply emergencies. Recent experience has shown that recourse to Article 122 can have significant political, legal and budgetary implications, particularly when proposals bypass standard legislative procedures. The new Framework Agreement therefore introduces a clear commitment by the Commission to provide Parliament without delay with comprehensive justification, detailed information and an explanation of the circumstances that warrant recourse to Article 122 TFEU. This includes transparency regarding the urgency, scope and expected budgetary impact of such proposals, as well as subsequent reporting on their implementation. These provisions address Parliament’s concerns about the exceptional and potentially far-reaching nature of legal acts based on Article 122 TFEU, ensuring that the Commission’s emergency powers are exercised with full democratic accountability and that Parliament can effectively scrutinise the Union’s response to crises.

Overall, the new Framework Agreement reinforces Parliament’s prerogatives without altering the institutional balance laid down in the Treaties and provides a more effective, transparent and accountable basis for cooperation in the service of Union citizens.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his report input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Date adopted

24.2.2026

Result of final vote

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–:

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19

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6

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

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