The 14th Committee issues an opinion on every Bill which may raise questions of compliance with European legislation and on bills implementing treaties and EU measures. Such opinion is then sent to the appropriate standing committee.

The 14th Committee also advises the Government on draft legislation concerning such issues, either directly - in the case of EU institutions and general policies - or through the appropriate committee in all other cases. In considering the development and implementation of EU measures, the 14th Committee (EU Policies) must take into account the compliance of national legislation with EU law and the relations between Regions and the EU. Finally, the 14th Committee, together with the appropriate standing committee, ascertains compliance of draft EU legislation with the subsidiarity principle, with respect to the relations between the EU and the State or the Regions, under Protocol n. 2 of the Treaty of Lisbon.

The Rules adopted in 2003 have strengthened the Committee's advisory function on bills and amendments considered and adopted by a standing committee acting with a legislative remit, i.e. under a procedure whereby the final vote of the Senate on the measure is not required. If such committee does not conform to the opinion issued by the 14th Committee, the legislative remit is withdrawn and the regular procedure - which requires a vote in the full Senate - is applied instead. This power is similar to that of the 1st Standing Committee (Constitutional Affairs), which oversees compliance of new Bills with the Constitution, and the 5th Standing Committee (Budget), which scrutinises all spending bills.