Thread by @EmporersNewC

@timspencer1 @HistoryMaker316 Yes, so the EU parliament has Article 225 of the TFEU can request that the Commission to submit an appropriate proposal. Some say because this isn't the same as the Commission's power of initiative it is meaningless, but that is to not understand the history.

@timspencer1 @HistoryMaker316 The EU parliament wanted a direct initiative in 1990 and when they got the equivalent of Article 225 they were unhappy. This ultimately led to the 1995 Code of Conduct, which is like a convention.

@timspencer1 @HistoryMaker316 Section 3.3 of that convention strengthens the position considerably. It's still only a convention like the Salisbury convention, but it does exist.

eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/…

@timspencer1 @HistoryMaker316 If the Commission decline the parliamentary request they have to give a reason, and that can then be fed into something called the 'European Added Value Unit' which can review the Commission reasoning, and follow up with a resubmission.

@timspencer1 @HistoryMaker316 This happened in the cross border legislation. The Commission rejected the proposal on economic arguments, the EAVU then reviews it and found new economic arguments, and then the commission took it on.

europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.d…

@timspencer1 @HistoryMaker316 You can also speak to your MP, obviously, because the Council also has Article 241 TFEU, which is similar to Article 225 TFEU

@timspencer1 @HistoryMaker316 Also if it's about police and judicial cooperation, then the memberstates do have power of initiative.

@timspencer1 @HistoryMaker316 Then of course there is the Citizens initiative too. So there are multiple ways for the public to change law in the EU, and I'm not so sure there are as many mechanisms in UK law.