Comitology
- Budgetary Control Committee (Photo: Finnish EU Presidency website)
Name for the work and study of the many committees and working groups in the EU. The Commission has not wanted to present a complete overview of the working groups. A Swedish scientist has found approximately 1350 active working groups in the Commission.
Comitology is normally used in a more narrow sense to define the various kinds of the 237 committees for advising and implementing EU law. But in a certain way, all the 1350 committees and working groups in the EU Commission advise on, and implement, EU law.
Since 1999 the formal committees have to report to the EU Parliament with agendas and minutes. However, most working groups work without the full oversight of elected MPs and MEPs - MEPs cannot even get the lists of names of the participants.
Notes
- There are rules for advisory, regulatory and management committees, but not for the more informal working groups.
- There are also 297 Committees in the Council.