Overview

This bill approves two decisions made by the Council of the European Union. One concerns the electronic publication of the Official Journal, and the other establishes a multi-annual framework for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. It also approves a decision to maintain the number of European Commissioners equal to the number of member states.

Description

The European Union (Approvals) Bill approves several decisions made by the EU under existing UK law. Specifically:

• Approval of EU Decisions under Article 352 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU): The bill approves two draft decisions: (a) A decision to adopt a Council Regulation on the electronic publication of the Official Journal; and (b) A decision to establish a multi-annual framework for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) from 2013-2017.
• Approval of Decision on the Number of EU Commissioners: The bill approves a decision to maintain the number of members of the European Commission equal to the number of member states. This is done under Article 17(5) of the Treaty on European Union.

The bill ensures these decisions are legally valid within the UK's legal framework.

Government Spending

The bill does not directly specify any new government spending. The cost implications relate to the implementation of the approved EU decisions, the details of which are not included in this bill.

Groups Affected

• UK Government: Responsible for enacting and implementing the bill.
• EU Institutions: The decisions approved by the bill will impact how the EU operates, particularly in relation to the publication of official documents and the functioning of the FRA.
• Citizens of the EU (Indirectly): The decisions regarding the publication of the Official Journal and the FRA's framework may have an indirect impact on EU citizens.

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