The word "commitology" might just as well be written backwards for all that it means to the outside world. Yet it is becoming more and more important as an issue of principle for the European Parliament.
Basically, the word is applied to describe the committee procedure used for implementing EU legislation. At a national level in the UK and Ireland, for example, implementation is carried out by statutory instruments.
At EU level, the type of committee adopted may vest considerable powers in the Commission or Council, to the exclusion of MEPs. The MEPs don't see why they should be cut off from the process at this stage, after having been closely involved in finalising the primary legislation under the co-decision procedure. An illustration of the importance of the procedure can be seen in safety legislation relating to dangerous substances known as biocides. The Commission was planning to decide on which chemicals would be listed, by using a commitology procedure which excluded parliamentary scrutiny. Parliament's only means of influencing the legislation has been to insist on a committee procedure that gives more leeway to the Commission, which in turn is subject to more parliamentary scrutiny, than is the case with Council. A compromise was agreed in 1994 under which Parliament receives details of all implementing measures, and the Commission obliged to report to it. MEPs want to ensure that politically important issues are not hidden in the detail. Disputes still rumble on and are a regular feature of conciliation meetings. The Commission is due to come up with new working arrangements in June.