Cooperation between the National Assembly and the Government
The functioning of Slovenia in the European Union is regulated by Article 3a of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, which provides the conditions and procedure for transferring the exercise of part of Slovenia's sovereign rights to international organisations, deals with the referendum concerning the transfer of part of Slovenia's sovereign rights to international organisations, defines the relationship between the Slovenian legal order and EU law, and defines the relationship between the National Assembly and the Government in the conditions of EU membership.
The relationship between the National Assembly and the Government in procedures for adopting legal acts and decisions in the European Union is regulated in detail by the Act on Cooperation between the National Assembly and the Government in EU Affairs that entered into force on 23 April 2004. The Act was adopted on the basis of Article 3a of the Constitution.
EU affairs in the National Assembly
The National Assembly participates in the formulation of positions of the Republic of Slovenia in relation to those EU affairs that given their subject matter would fall within its competence in accordance with the Constitution and laws. The National Assembly discusses draft positions within the time limits required by the work within EU institutions. The National Assembly also discusses amendments to the Treaties on which the Union is founded. At least once a year the National Assembly discusses the state of affairs in the EU and the position of the Republic of Slovenia therein, and adopts positions on the political guidelines for Slovenia's activity in EU institutions. ("U-affairs")
The Government promptly informs the National Assembly of EU affairs that fall within the competence of the National Assembly, and reports on its decisions and thereto related activities within EU institutions. The Government also informs the National Assembly of other documents that are relevant for the exercise of its constitutional powers and concern the political and programme aspects of the activity of the European Union. ("S-affairs")
At the proposal of the Government or at its own initiative the National Assembly may also discuss other EU affairs. ("E-affairs")
In the National Assembly, EU affairs are discussed by the Committee on EU Affairs which deals with all EU-related issues, except for the Foreign and Security Policy which falls under the competence of the Committee on Foreign Policy. In discussing EU affairs, the two competent committees also cooperate with other working bodies of the National Assembly.
Links
The Committee on EU Affairs participates to the meetings of EU affairs committees from national parliaments and the European Parliament, also known as the Conference of European Affairs Committees (COSAC), which are held twice a year. COSAC provides for the exchange of information between EU affairs committees from national parliaments and the European Parliament, and discusses issues relevant to the future development of the European Union.
A new database (IPEX - Interparliamentary EU Information Exchange) is being set up in order to improve the exchange of information among national parliaments. The European Centre of Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD) collects and publishes data and comparative analyses from EU national parliaments.
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