Convention urged to improve ‘focus’ of Council of Ministers

Date: 06/06/02

By Martin Banks

THE Council of Ministers has to be more 'focused' and 'strategic', members of the Convention on Europe's future will be told today (6 June).

Decision-making at the Council - where national governments thrash out EU legislation - has to improve if the European Union is to work, says a senior Convention member.

Gisela Stuart, who sits on the influential 12-person praesidium, will also tell the Convention that one of the biggest challenges its members face is to win the hearts and minds of Europeans who feel that the EU and its institutions are remote, undemocratic and bureaucratic.

The Convention, chaired by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, will discuss the role of national parliaments at its meetings in Brussels today and tomorrow.

German-born Stuart, who says EU citizens still identify more with their national MPs than MEPs, will outline her thoughts on how national assemblies could play a more meaningful role.

'I would like to see the powers parliaments have to scrutinise EU legislation strengthened,' said the UK Socialist, one of the praesidium's two national parliamentary representatives. 'We also have to decide who is to police subsidiarity.'

She added: 'Ultimately, the electorate relates to their national parliamentarians more than to MEPs.

'When they vote in national elections they elect a recognisable body which will form their government. They identify with national parliamentarians because they can kick them out in elections. There is no such sense of direct relationship with an MEP.'

Stuart's views will carry extra weight as she is chairing a working group on the role national parliaments should play in Europe's future. It is one of six groups being set up to formulate proposals for the Convention.

The UK MP, whose views are known to be close to those of Prime Minister Tony Blair, said: 'We need to be clear which powers have been given to the EU by member states. In those areas, we need proper scrutiny by the European Parliament while in all other areas, national parliaments are the proper place for holding the executive to account.

'This can only be done if the activities of the Council of Ministers become more strategic and focused. There is simply too much activity to allow proper scrutiny.

'We also have to look again at the rotating EU presidency. Chopping and changing every six months is not satisfactory,' she added.

Stuart's comments will be welcomed by the Convention's deputy chairman, Guiliano Amato, who has described EU decision-making as 'cluttered'.

The Convention on the Future of Europe are due to discuss the activities of the Council of Ministers and the role of national parliaments on 6 June 2002.

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