This committee deals with the institutional aspects determining the future of the EU. Part of this process is about restoring people's confidence in the EU and S&D MEPs promote the inclusion of people in the decision-making process of the EU, for example through the European Citizens' Initiative.
The committee is also responsible for assessing the negotiations on the UK leaving the European Union. The European Parliament as a whole has a central role in finalising the Brexit process and our MEPs contribute to this process in an important way through this committee.
We have worked hard to make the European Parliament and the EU better reflect Europe. We fought to reform the laws governing EU elections to strengthen the link between national political parties and candidates running in the elections and their affiliation with a European political party. This further enhances the Spitzenkandidaten process, ensuring that EU elections are more than just 28 separate national elections. We want European elections to be European in nature.
We have also fought hard to increase transparency in EU decision-making processes, with new rules governing companies and bodies trying to influence EU laws. We have also fought hard to open up the trialogue process, under which the Council of Ministers, Commission, and Parliament finalise new EU laws.
We support a close partnership with the UK, but any agreement requires an appropriate balance of rights and obligations, and needs to meet a number fundamental principles: third country cannot have the same benefits as a member state, the EU must keep autonomy of decision making, the integrity of the single market and financial stability should be protected, and a level playing field between the UK and EU must be ensured.
