Bicameralism and Interparliamentary Cooperation

The chapter copes with different challenges deriving from the recognition of European powers by EU Treaty provisions to bicameral parliaments, which are half of the present national parliaments in the EU. For example, the participation of bicameral legislatures in interparliamentary cooperation poses questions as for the composition and the size of national parliamentary delegations and as for the weight second chambers should have in the delegation, because of their structure and powers. Likewise, in the early warning mechanism in bicameral legislatures each Chamber is assigned one vote by protocol no. 2 annexed to Treaty of Lisbon, although their internal balance and their democratic credentials can vary a lot from one Member State to another.