The European Union flag in front of the Reichstag Building in Berlin © dpa

Article 23 of the Basic Law empowers the German Bundestag to participate in the EU’s legislative processes. In addition to this, the committees of the European Parliament and the German Bundestag are able to hold joint meetings together, while the European committees of the EU’s national parliaments and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) meet regularly under the auspices of the Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC).

A number of German MEPs have seats on the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union of the German Bundestag, where they are entitled to speak but have no voting rights. They inform the Members of the German Bundestag about the progress of legislation as it passes through the European Parliament.

The speakers and presiding officers of Europe’s national parliaments meet regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest.