Prodi launches drive to bridge Union’s ‘democratic deficit’

Date: 28/09/00

By Simon Taylor

ROMANO Prodi will begin putting flesh on the bones of his 'European governance' plan next month as he strives to boost the Union's popularity and make its decision-making procedures more effective.

The European Commission president will present a report on Deepening democracy in Europe to colleagues on 11 October, setting out a work plan for drawing up a White Paper on EU governance in 2001.

The paper makes a number of controversial suggestions, including involving firms directly in drawing up legislation, especially in the high-technology field, and giving national and regional authorities greater flexibility to adapt Union law to local situations.

Prodi's initiative is designed to counter persistent accusations that the EU is too remote from ordinary citizens by handing power back to national, regional and local authorities in some areas just as the Union is winning a stronger role in formulating policy on issues such as justice and home affairs.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has tried to allay the fears voiced by regional governments in his country that they are losing influence to central authorities by promising to push the EU to define the limits on its powers more clearly.

In the paper due to be approved by the full Commission next month, Prodi will argue that the Union needs to tackle the 'democratic deficit' - the term used to describe the fact that Europeans are increasingly distrustful of the institutions which take decisions on their behalf but can do little about it.

The president claims that the key to improving the effectiveness of EU law-making and helping the public to identify more closely with Union institutions is to increase the role played by regional authorities and non-governmental organisations in drafting legislation. His paper states that giving these groups a greater role in EU decision-making "seems to be more and more a condition of the success of this process and the acceptance of rules".

Prodi argues that citizens should be encouraged to recognise the Union's values and its actions, and that efforts should be made to ensure that laws are "relevant and coherent" by "stimulating interaction between public and private organisations and different levels of authority". To improve the quality of decision-making, Prodi not only wants to involve public authorities below the national level in EU law-making, but also argues that it should be easier for interested parties to trace the development of legislation from the time the Commission prepares a proposal until it is finally adopted.

He also believes that there should be "direct and voluntary participation" by companies in drawing up laws, arguing that traditional ways of drawing up legislation are not effective in sectors where the technologically changes very rapidly.

Prodi will propose that the work on the White Paper should proceed by dividing up the problem into six "worksites" or areas where different Commission departments can discuss how they could change their working habits.

These are increasing the quality of public debate on European subjects; steering the process of drawing up and implementing EU rules; improving the exercise of executive responsibility through decentralisation; promoting coherence and co-operation in a networked Europe; reinforcing Europe's contribution to global governance; and strengthening integration and the strategic dimension of policies on a continental scale.

Romano Prodi will begin putting flesh on the bones of his 'European governance' plan as he strives to boost the Union's popularity and make its decision-making procedures more effective. The European Commission President will present a report on 'Deepening democracy in Europe' to colleagues on 11.10.00, setting out a work plan for drawing up a White Paper on EU governance in 2001.