Euro-MP tells UK Presidency to scrap joke EU legislation

5.34.20pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 26th Oct 2005

In the European Parliament today Liz Lynne MEP questioned Douglas Alexander MP, the UK Minister for Europe, asking if the UK Presidency would build on the European Commission's plans to curb excess European legislation, whilst calling for Council of Ministers' meetings to be open.

Speaking in Strasbourg today Liz Lynne said,

"The UK Presidency said that they wanted to act to prevent unnecessary and burdensome legislation. I certainly hope they mean this. It was absolutely absurd that the Council of Ministers proposed measures regarding exposure to the sun in the optical radiation directive. Preposterous measures like this one are making a joke of the EU. We need to know precisely which member states are responsible for these absurdities.

"The Council of Ministers' meetings must be open. Transparency and openness in lawmaking is essential to ensure that unnecessary legislation stays off the agenda."

Liz Lynne MEP, as Shadow Rapporteur for the Better Regulation report in the Employment Committee, has been campaigning for some time to cut unnecessary red tape across Europe. After the Council invoked conciliation procedures regarding exposure to the sun in the optical radiation directive, Liz has renewed her battle to avoid the so-called European "tan-ban", which she is winning, and to prevent such joke legislation being proposed in the future.

ENDS.

Note to Editors:

Text of the Oral Question:

Asks the UK Presidency to support Jose Manuel Barroso in his efforts to curb unnecessary and burdensome lawmaking initiatives from the European Commission. Despite assurances from this presidency that it would act to prevent superfluous lawmakings and to promote the principle of subsidiarity, we see the UK Presidency arguing for the addition of impractical legislation, such as the protection of workers from sunlight in the directive on optical radiation. Will the Presidency seize the opportunity to help bring some sense to "joke" EU lawmaking?

Conciliation:

The Conciliation Committee consists of an equal number of Council and Parliament representatives, assisted by the Commission. It considers the common position on the basis of Parliament's amendments and has six weeks to draft a joint text. The procedure stops and the act is not adopted unless the Committee approves a joint text by the deadline. If it does so, the joint text goes to the Council and Parliament for approval.

Ministerial Secrecy:

There was a demonstration by ALDE MEPs today calling on the EU and the UK Presidency to make laws in public.