Business without Debate — Delegated Legislation – in the House of Commons at 6:46 pm on 12 February 2013.
That this House takes note of European Union Document No. 16374/12, a Commission Communication on establishing appropriate relations between the European Union and the European Space Agency; and supports the Government’s aim to work with the European Commission and ESA to begin a period of discussion about the future relationship between the ESA and the EU in which it will seek to ensure that any Commission proposal for evolution of the relationship supports the growth of the UK space sector, avoids duplication of expertise and functions between the ESA and the EU, protects the UK’s ability to participate in certain space programmes on a voluntary basis, and fully analyses
the implications for the EU budget and EU competence, so that a fully informed decision can be taken next year.
—(Mr Swayne.)
Question agreed to.
Delegated legislation is law made by ministers under powers deriving from Acts of Parliament.
Thousands of pieces of delegated legislation, commonly known as statutory instruments, are passed by Parliament each year.
They enable the government to make minor, technical changes to the law without having to introduce a whole new Act of Parliament.
The European Commission is the politically independent institution that represents and upholds the interests of the EU as a whole. It is the driving force within the EU’s institutional system: it proposes legislation, policies and programmes of action and it is responsible for implementing the decisions of Parliament and the Council.
Like the Parliament and Council, the European Commission was set up in the 1950s under the EU’s founding treaties.
