Parliaments to win power

21.06.2007 / 00:00 CET

I found it very intriguing that national parliaments could get powers to block EU legislation in the future (‘Parliaments offered greater EU powers', 14-20 June 2007). It is a good idea, but, as Jacques Delors once said, the devil is in the detail. The question that preoccupies me most is: , in all but a few member states. Denmark and other Nordic countries are an except-ion. The rise in powers of the European Parliament did not take place at the expense of national assemblies, rather of governments, meeting in the Council of Ministers.
It is a good idea to give national assemblies, for the first time since the creation of the EU, a say over EU decision-making. But they should exercise it wisely – and make sure they get to grips with the EU issues. are national parliaments ready to exercise such powers? National assemblies have been kept in the dark about EU matters by their own governments, which were happy enough to escape the control of the legislature and make themselves decisions in Brussels
For the moment, because they were kept out of this process, very few do.

Constance Karoly
Prague

It is, typically, a majority that is necessary in many states to block the budget, change the constitution or oust the governments. Here, we merely talk about forcing the Commission to change a proposal – which does not even force it to withdraw or completely redraft it. How often will national assemblies be able to rally such a majority? Or was that the aim?

Ana Pinheiro
Brussels

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