The Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) is a standing committee of the European Parliament. It is responsible for the interpretation and application of European Union law, the compatibility of Union acts with the Treaties, civil and commercial law, company law, intellectual property, procedural law, better regulation and matters concerning the legal status and immunities of Members of the European Parliament.
Responsibilities
The committee deals with the interpretation, application and monitoring of Union law and with the conformity of proposed and existing EU legislation with the Treaties. It also examines legal questions affecting the Union institutions and the legal order of the European Union.
Its remit includes:
the interpretation, application and monitoring of European Union law; the conformity of Union acts with primary law and the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality; civil and commercial law, including cross-border judicial cooperation; company law, corporate governance and corporate reporting; intellectual-property law; procedural law and measures concerning access to justice; legal aspects of better regulation, delegated acts and implementing acts; codification and official consolidation of Union legislation; the Statute for Members of the European Parliament and the Staff Regulations of EU officials; parliamentary immunity and requests for the waiver or defence of immunity; and verification of the credentials of elected Members of the European Parliament.
Conflicts of interest and Commission nominees
JURI examines the declarations of financial interests submitted by Commissioners-designate before their portfolio hearings. Its role is to determine whether a nominee's financial interests may create an actual or potential conflict of interest. Where concerns remain unresolved, the committee may conclude that the nominee cannot proceed to the substantive hearing stage.
In 2019, JURI concluded that Rovana Plumb and László Trócsányi could not proceed to their hearings because of unresolved conflicts-of-interest concerns.
Monitoring the application of Union law
The committee follows the implementation and enforcement of Union legislation, including the European Commission's annual reports on monitoring the application of EU law. It also examines questions concerning the quality of legislation, legal certainty, subsidiarity and the use of delegated and implementing powers.
Chairs
The following table lists the chairs of the committee since 2009.
Name Political group Member state Took office Left office Klaus-Heiner Lehne EPP Germany 2009 2014 Pavel Svoboda EPP Czechia 2014 2019 Lucy Nethsingha Renew Europe United Kingdom 2019 2020 Adrián Vázquez Lázara Renew Europe Spain 2020 2024 Ilhan Kyuchyuk Renew Europe Bulgaria 2024 Incumbent
Members
10th Parliament, 2024–2029
The committee currently has 25 full members. Its composition is shown below, with the chair and vice-chairs indicated in italics.
European People's Party Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats European Conservatives and Reformists Renew Europe Marion Walsmann, Germany, Vice-Chair Emil Radev, Bulgaria, Vice-Chair Maravillas Abadía Jover, Spain Lukas Mandl, Austria Axel Voss, Germany Adrián Vázquez Lázara, Spain Michał Wawrykiewicz, Poland Lara Wolters, Netherlands, Vice-Chair José Cepeda, Spain Victor Negrescu, Romania René Repasi, Germany Krzysztof Śmiszek, Poland Mario Mantovani, Italy, Vice-Chair Tobiasz Bocheński, Poland Dominik Tarczyński, Poland Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Bulgaria, Chair Lukas Sieper, Germany Dainius Žalimas, Lithuania Patriots for Europe Greens–European Free Alliance The Left Europe of Sovereign Nations Ton Diepeveen, Netherlands Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, Spain Pascale Piera, France Sergey Lagodinsky, Germany Tineke Strik, Netherlands Mario Furore, Italy Mary Khan, Germany
Substitute members
The committee's substitute members are listed below.
European People's Party Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats European Conservatives and Reformists Renew Europe Magdalena Adamowicz, Poland Daniel Buda, Romania Caterina Chinnici, Italy Henrik Dahl, Denmark Angelika Niebler, Germany Jörgen Warborn, Sweden Javier Zarzalejos, Spain Brando Benifei, Italy Leire Pajín, Spain Eric Sargiacomo, France Tiemo Wölken, Germany Alessandro Zan, Italy Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Poland Gheorghe Piperea, Romania Kosma Złotowski, Poland Pascal Canfin, France Laurence Farreng, France Jana Toom, Estonia Patriots for Europe Greens–European Free Alliance The Left Europe of Sovereign Nations Jaroslav Knot, Czechia Ernő Schaller-Baross, Hungary Raffaele Stancanelli, Italy David Cormand, France Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, Denmark Arash Saeidi, France Marcin Sypniewski, Poland
Research support
The committee is supported by the European Parliament's research services and policy departments. They provide studies, briefings and impact assessments on civil and commercial law, company law, intellectual property, legislative quality, legal affairs and the application of Union law.
See also
Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers Copyright law of the European Union European company law European Court of Justice European patent law Justice and Home Affairs Council Law of the European Union Parliamentary immunity
References
External links
Official website Members Supporting analyses European Parliament Think Tank