MEPs urge council reform

Tuesday, 6 September 2005 12:00 AM

Decision-making in the EU should be brought out from behind closed doors to enable ministers to be held accountable, British politicians in Brussels argue today.

The heads of the main political parties in the EU parliament are urging Tony Blair to use Britain's presidency of the union to open up the meetings of the Council of Ministers.

The council, which is made up of relevant ministers from each of the 25 member states and is the main law-making body of the EU, currently meets to debate and vote in secret.

But critics argue this system - where reporting of discussions depends on individual ministers' accounts - makes it too easy for them to avoid taking responsibility for any unpopular decisions.

A new campaign, launched with a letter to The Times today, calls on Mr Blair to introduce the principles of "openness and transparency" into the process.

The letter, which is signed by Gary Titley, leader of the Labour party in the EU parliament, among others, says the prime minister would only need the support of 13 of the 25 EU member states to make the change.

"The principles of openness and transparency should apply whenever European laws are being made. They are essential if national parliaments are to hold ministers to account for their actions," the letter reads.

"It is unacceptable that Europe's most senior law-making body, the Council of Ministers, continues to meet behind closed doors when its members are debating new laws and it is acting as a legislative assembly.

"This practice could be ended, and a useful improvement in the conduct of EU business achieved, by a simple modification of the council's standing orders requiring the support of just 13 of the 25 member states."

The letter, which is also signed by Timothy Kirkhope, leader of the Conservative MEPs, and Liberal Democrat, Ukip and Green MEP leaders, notes that Mr Blair has already expressed his support for such a change earlier this year.

"We urge the government to take the initiative and bring about this reform during its current presidency of the EU," it concludes.

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