Following this week's heated debate with the Danish presidency on the decision of Justice and Home Affairs ministers to unilaterally change the legal base of the new Schengen Evaluation Mechanism in order to exclude Parliament from its co-legislative role, European Group leaders responded with a decision today to suspend cooperation with the Danish and subsequent Presidencies on a number of pending files awaiting completion until the matter is resolved.
 
Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE group leader, who proposed in Tuesday's debate to retaliate to Council's approach, said:

"Parliament must stand up for the Community method and its legislative prerogatives and not allow itself to be bullied and pushed around by the Member States who clearly consider democratic scrutiny to be an unnecessary inconvenience."

"I welcome the backing of Parliament's group leaders today to my proposal in responding in kind to Council's presumptuous disregard for Parliament's rights."

<//i>"We have responded proportionately by agreeing to suspend further cooperation with Council in related areas of justice and home affairs until the decision to change the legal base is revoked."