The European Parliament: Source and Identity

Abstract

Legislatures have traditionally had a minimal impact on the formulation and implementation of foreign policy. In most systems of government the executive has guarded its exclusive powers to conduct foreign policy to such an extent that legislatures have been granted little attention in academic study.²

Parliament has too little control over CFSP implementation and, despite its right to make recommendations its role in this field is limited. The national parliaments are even more poorly placed for monitoring CFSP implementation, since they are only able to monitor their respective governments. This demonstrates, if there were any need to, that, in order to be effective, democratic controls must be effected at the same level as the source of power.¹