15 | II Série C - Número: 015 | 27 de Novembro de 2006

Framework Law on the State Budget, the Major Options of the National Plan, the Regional Development Plan or other national programmes that provide for the use of such funds.
4 – Without prejudice to the provisions of the previous paragraphs, the Assembly of the Republic or the Government may also instigate debate on all such subjects and positions under discussion at European institutions as involve matters that fall within their areas of responsibility.

Article 5 Informing the Assembly of the Republic

1 — The Government shall keep the Assembly of the Republic informed in good time about the subjects and positions that are to be discussed at European institutions, as well as about proposals that are under discussion and negotiations that are underway, and shall send the Assembly all the relevant documentation as soon as it is presented or submitted to the Council, particularly including:

a) Draft agreements or treaties to be entered into by the European Communities or the European Union or between Member States within the context of the European Union, without prejudice to such rules governing reserved responsibility or confidentiality as may apply to the negotiation process; b) Proposals in relation to binding and non-binding acts, other than current management matters, to be undertaken by European Union institutions; c) Drafts of complementary legal acts, particularly decisions by representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting in Council; d) The European Commission’s annual political strategy and legislative and working programme, as well as any other legislative programming instrument; e) Legislative resolutions on joint positions adopted by the Council; f) Authorisations granted to the Council to take decisions by qualified majority, in cases in which as a rule decisions are subject to unanimity; g) Agendas and results of Council sessions, including the minutes of sessions at which the Council takes decisions on legislative proposals; h) Reports on the application of the principle of subsidiarity; i) Consultation documents; j) Documents concerning major economic and social guidelines, as well as sectoral guidelines; l) The annual report of the European Court of Auditors.

2 — Members of the Assembly of the Republic may request such Community documentation as may be available on the status of the proposals referred to in the previous paragraph.
3 – In the first calendar quarter of each year the Government shall present a report to the Assembly of the Republic such as to enable the Assembly to monitor Portugal’s participation in the process of constructing the European Union; such report shall particularly provide information on the decisions with the greatest impact on Portugal which European institutions took during the previous year, and the measures which the Government has put into practice as a result of those decisions.

Article 6 European Affairs Committee

1 – Without prejudice to the responsibility of the Plenary and the remaining specialist parliamentary committees, the European Affairs Committee shall be the committee with responsibility for the overall monitoring and assessment of European affairs.
2 – The European Affairs Committee shall be specifically responsible for:

a) Assessing all matters that are of interest to Portugal within the framework of the construction of Europe, European institutions or cooperation between European Union Member States, and particularly the Government’s actions in relation to such matters; b) Drawing up formal written opinions on matters that fall within the Assembly of the Republic’s reserved legislative responsibility and are pending decision at European Union bodies; c) Stimulating greater participation by the Assembly of the Republic in the work of European institutions; d) Acting together with the specialist parliamentary committees with responsibility for the matter in question to ensure the exchange of information and appropriate ways of working, such as to ensure that the Assembly of the Republic intervenes efficiently in matters concerning the construction of the European Union, particularly as regards the drawing up of the formal written opinion referred to in Article 3; e) Formulating draft resolutions designed to assess proposals for Community acts of a rule-making nature; f) Holding an annual meeting with the members of the Legislative Assemblies of the autonomous regions, and asking them for formal written opinions in accordance with Article 3(3) and whenever regional legislative responsibilities are involved;