Commentary on Sections Section 3: Approval of increase in powers of European Parliament
16.This section is included to meet the requirement of section 6 of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978.  The requirement is that “no treaty which provides for any increase in the powers of the European Parliament shall be ratified by the United Kingdom unless it has been approved by an Act of Parliament”.  Several provisions in Article 2 of the Treaty of Nice increase the powers of the European Parliament, eg by increasing the occasions on which Community legislation must be adopted by co-decision between the Council and the European Parliament.