Behind the scenes: an examination of the importance of the informal processes at work in conciliation

The intergovernmental conference which was completed in 1991, the result of which was the Treaty on European Union, introduced the codecision procedure. This procedure gives the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament equal legislative powers in adopting legislation in certain policy areas. The article examines this procedure, from a European Parliament perspective. Through an examination of conciliation negotiations on the Packaging Directive and three public health programmes, it highlights how the adoption of informal working procedures has contributed to the successful operation of codecision-making.