German parliament wants more say over EU deals: report

BERLIN (Reuters) - German lawmakers from Angela Merkel's coalition want more say in agreements made with European partners, a paper to be presented to MPs says, firing a warning shot to the chancellor that all major deals to save the euro zone must go past them first.

The paper, approved by parliamentary floor leaders from Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU) and Free Democrats (FDP), calls on the government to inform and consult parliament when they deal with EU issues or involve the use of EU institutions.

The highly technical document, obtained by Reuters, seems aimed at ensuring parliament has a say in a proposed new treaty for deeper economic integration in the euro zone, which was agreed at a European Union summit on Friday.

Germany's parliament already holds greater sway in EU decisions since its constitutional court made it a requirement that the Bundestag be consulted on changes to the euro zone bailout fund.

Their demands, that government inform it of discussions from an early stage and provide documents to show why each decision must be made quickly, are significant as they could further tie Merkel's hands during negotiations.

In September, Merkel's centre-right coalition narrowly backed changes to the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), following the constitutional court ruling, but 10 MPs from her Christian Democrat party voted against the measure.

In October, there were 15 rebels in the coalition who abstained or voted against another euro zone rescue measure.

(Reporting By Andreas Rinke; writing by Erik Kirschbaum; Editing by Ben Harding)