European Parliament
President.
Question No 49 by Sarah Ludford 
Subject: 'Passerelle' clause
During their meeting in Vienna on 27-28 May, EU Foreign Ministers apparently failed to reach an agreement on a Commission proposal to use the bridging or 'Passerelle' clause of the Nice Treaty to move more competences in Justice and Home Affairs from the third to the first (Community) 'pillar'.
What is the reaction of the Commission to this failure, and what other concrete proposals will it put forward to increase effectiveness, democracy and transparency in decision-making on JHA issues?

