Barroso: Role of national parliaments to be enhanced

The role of national parliaments in the next EU reform treaty will be enhanced, European Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso told a plenary sitting of Romanian Parliament on Thursday.

'Of course, this should be done in such a manner as not to reduce the legitimacy of the European Parliament', he said in answer to a question put by the head of the Liberal parliamentary group in the Deputies' Chamber.

Barroso explained that national parliaments might step in when they consider that the European institutions give laws in an area that is not the competence of these institutions.

'It is about the subsidiarity principle', he stressed.

Decisions should be made 'as close to the citizens as possible', the European Commission president said.

'I am convinced you can also do many things in this respect, you can comment on the European decisions', Barroso said. He added that it is very important that the interventions of the national legislative bodies should be made as soon as possible.

'You should send your observations when we are still at a phase of configuration, of working out the European legislation', the stressed.

Rompres