The relations and connections between the European Council and the European Parliament in the EU decision-making process

The majority of academic studies focus on how the authority in the European Union (EU) is distributed within the institutional triangle of the European Commission (EC), the Council of the European Union (Council) and European Parliament (EP). That is why this chapter analyzes the specific nature of the informal links between the European Council and the European Parliament and investigates the impact these mutual interactions have on European integration processes. These impacts are presented in order to analyze the main determinants and directions of influence that can facilitate better understanding of political processes in the EU. The main research problem is to determine the relationships and dependencies between the European Council and the European Parliament, and in particular their nature as well as impact on the decisions made. The main research goal will be achieved using the theory of decision analysis and normative analysis of EU legislation, including primarily the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, and analyzing doctrinal comments. The study goes beyond the static analysis of procedures, the investigation of principles and competencies, or the formal requirements which determine the types of decisions made, or temporal and procedural restrictions. The solution is sought primarily in the dynamic aspects of the mechanisms studied, that is, in the practice of cooperation of the entities involved, in phenomena and processes, as well as in emerging interactions. This chapter will provide answers to questions about the direction of interactions, their intensity, and the outcome of these interactions for political processes in the European Union.