The politics of codecision

Codecision has been central to the efforts and energy of the European Parli ament throughout the 1990s. But to what effect? This article considers the extent and nature of the influence that the Parliament had on legislation c overed by the codecision provisions of the Maastricht Treaty (Art. 189B). I t suggests that this influence can be explained in general terms, by the gr owth of shared norms between Council and Parliament, and in particular, by the specific characteristics of the distributive and regulatory policies co vered by codecision. It concludes that the new Amsterdam provision (Art. 25 1) will reinforce the procedure as part of the acquis communautaire, but al so open a broader debate about the role of the Parliament within the EU.