BENCHMARKING FOR PARLIAMENTS

PrefaceThe European Union is founded on the principlesof liberty, democracy, respect for human rights,fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. TheEuropean Parliament has always been a staunchdefender of these principles. Through its standingcommittees, inter-parliamentary delegations,plenary resolutions, debates on human rights andinvolvement in monitoring elections, the Parliamenthas actively sought to give high priority todemocratisation in all its external actions.In 2008 the European Parliament set up theOffice for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracyto directly support new and emerging democracies(NED) beyond the borders of the EuropeanUnion. The OPPD assists in the establishment andreform of parliaments and aims at strengtheningtheir capacity to implement the chief functions oflawmaking, oversight and representation. Membersand civil servants of NED parliaments can benefitfrom tailored training and counselling providedby the OPPD as well as networking with Membersand relevant services of the European Parliament.The OPPD seeks to establish a continuing dialogueand partnership with NED parliaments worldwideand to support their participation as fullyfledged members of the democratic community. Itfacilitates sharing of experiences and best practicesof parliamentary methods and applications, andfosters research and study of these practices.Democracy has underpinned the political, social,cultural and economic development of the EuropeanUnion and, from its collective experience, theEU is confident that it represents the best form ofgovernment. The development and consolidationof democracy worldwide has therefore become a keyobjective of its Common Foreign and Security Policyas well as its Development Cooperation Policy.Although there is no authoritative definition ofdemocracy that claims to include all possible componentsof democracy, there is an internationalconsensus on the essential elements which defineit. 1 Effective parliaments are essential for strongand stable democracies but powers and functionsof parliaments vary significantly and achieving consensuson what a democratic parliament actually ishas proved difficult. In recent years, a debate hasbegun on the potential benefit of an internationallyagreed system of parliamentary benchmarking.This publication provides an overview of differentapproaches ranging from highlighting the selfassessmentaspect to establishing minimum criteria.It also offers some practical examples whilst distinguishingbetween emerging parliaments, developingparliaments and mature institutions.1. Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy (2009), Democracy Revisited: Which Notion of Democracy for the EU’s External Relations?Brussels, European Parliament, p. 5Benchmarking for Parliaments: Self-assessment or minimum criteria? — 05