enable National Parliaments to play a defining role in the crucial juncture between the European and the national Semester, i.e. the second half of the year during which budgets and reform programmes are proposed by governments and adopted by national parliaments. The Commission could thus be given the opportunity to explain its position to the national parliaments concerned. To this end, I will continue to promote and encourage visits to national parliaments by not only my fellow Commissioners but also, as positive recent experience has shown, by senior officials in charge of economic governance issues.

In the blueprint, we also propose that contractual arrangements be introduced between the Commission and Member States for the delivery of major structural reforms. These contracts would have to be based on full domesticthe adoption by the Council of the country-specific recommendations (CSRs). Another practical measure is the Economic Dialogue set up as part of the Six Pack which provides for discussions and channels between the European Parliament, on the one hand, and the Council, the Member States, the Commission, the European Council and the Eurogroup on the other hand. The European Parliament should also be regularly involved in the preparation and implementation of the adjustment programmes concerning Member States receiving financial assistance, as foreseen in the two-pack legislation.

In those areas where Treaty change is likely, there are several measures proposed to ensure stronger democratic accountability by the European Parliament. These include introducing co-decision on the integrated guidelines and on the proposed new power allowing the Commission to require a closer,