The European Parliament as a political actor: how the EP is pushing for increased influence in different policy areas. Comparing the environmental and foreign policy fields.

Abstract

Within the EU institutional framework, the European Parliament (EP) is indeed the body that has undergone the most significant changes, transforming from a consultative assembly into an equal co-legislator with the Council of the EU through successive treaty changes. The present thesis aims to investigate whether this empowerment of the EP has also resulted in an increased influence within the EU institutional framework and policymaking process, analysing whether and how this legislative body tries to emerge as a political actor and entrepreneur in different EU policy sectors. The research will focus on two different policy fields: one in which the EP has co-decision powers (environmental policy) and one in which it traditionally has few (foreign policy). Starting from a set of hypotheses, the study will be carried out through the analysis of different case studies, which will help us understand whether the EP is trying to stand out as an entrepreneur, which instruments it adopts, and to what extent it eventually manages to be influential and absorb powers, also in sectors in which it has few. The results will eventually be compared to identify and evaluate possible similarities and differences in its behaviour.