The existence of the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union is enshrined in the German constitution, the Basic Law. This committee is the central forum for the German Bundestag's participation in European affairs. As a cross-sectoral committee, it deals amongst other things with fundamental questions of European integration, institutional topics and enlargement issues. It therefore has special powers and is made up not only of Members of the Bundestag, but also of Members of the European Parliament. The Committee cultivates close ties to the European affairs committees of other national parliaments within the EU.
