adoption of the Amsterdam Treaty ( 1997 ) changed the paradigm and altered the power dynamics between institutions . The ensuing paragraphs delve into the impact of these changes on the legislative process . Parliament ’ s new-found role in approving the President of the Commission and taking a vote of confidence on ( or rejecting ) the entire Commission , as discussed above , added a fresh dimension to Parliament ’ s function .
Before 1994 , the consideration given to Parliament by other institutions was minimal , to say the least 5 . Now Parliament was transformed from being a mere procedural step to a full participant in the legislative process . The Council had to engage in the search for compromise with Parliament to be able to pass legislation .
1994 was the beginning of what former Parliament President Nicole Fontaine described as ‘ a “ silent revolution ”, largely unnoticed by the public yet absolutely key to shaping the future of European integration ’ 6 .
Despite the existence of legislative conciliation since 1975 7 and the introduction of the cooperation procedure in the Single Act of 1987 , these procedures only initiated a dialogue among institutions without producing binding outcomes for the Council .
The establishment of the codecision procedure made it necessary to define practical procedures , a task assigned to a techni-
5 . See A . De Feo , ‘ Interinstitutional relations from 1979 ’, The contribution of the European Parliament to the European project , Historical Archives of the EU , 3 April 2023 .
6 . 20 years of codecision conference report , European Parliament , 2013 .
7 . The Joint Declaration of the European Parliament , the Council and the Commission concerning the institution of a conciliation procedure between the European Parliament and the Council concerned legislative acts with relevant financial implications .
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