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so much for democracy in the EU

TeeJay on 2004-12-13T18:33:01

I can't believe how low the patent lobby and their corrupt cronies in the EU will sink.

Now they are trying to pass a software patent law without discussion, after abandoning the agreed and reasonable amendments made in the parliament.

It is doubly sneaky as only last week it was kicked into touch and not up for discussion until well into next year, while now it will be passed by ministers for either the environment or fisheries at the last eu council meeting of the year just before christmas.

I'm starting to agree with the UKIP party that the EU really is a corrupt and undemocratic organisation - what was the point of electing MEPs if a secret and unaccountable cabal of unelected diplomats make the agreements between themselves against the will of parliament and the people who voted.

Don't blame the Parliament

ajt on 2004-12-13T22:10:33

The problem isn't the EU, it's the big governments really. The big governments like to complain about the EU, but in reality they always get their way. It's a convenient scape-goat to blame the EU, when it's their own ministers that rammed the legislation though against the wishes of the people, the EU and various national parliaments and common sense.

Yes the EU does need cleaning up, and giving it clarity and transfering power from the unelected commission to the parliament would be a good start.

Playing devil's advocate ...

drhyde on 2004-12-14T09:53:05

You are being inconsistent - a bit like UKIP :-) At one point you say:

now it will be passed by ministers for either the environment or fisheries.


But at another you say:

a secret and unaccountable cabal of unelected diplomats make the agreements between themselves.


The vast majority of ministers in EU countries are elected members of their national parliaments. Those that aren't are still accountable to their national governments and through them to the electorate. If anything, the *un*elected ministers are *more* accountable in national affairs, as they answer to the government and hence to the whole country, whereas ministers who are members of parliament are - especially in FPTP countries - only accountable to their small constituency.

Re:Playing devil's advocate ...

TeeJay on 2004-12-14T10:41:17

Ah..

The thing is that any discussion between ministers is still secret and therefore unaccountable.

They also make the agreement between themselves according to secret government agenda.. I don't remember anything in the Labour Manifesto claiming to help the nation by allowing software patents.

Also they don't answer to the government or parliament. MP's have raised issues and they have been ignored as Lord Sainsbury and his Cronies push through bad legislation for their chums at Microsoft.

I wish the broadsheet media would start looking more closely at these goings on especially in light of the far-too-cosy relationship between the government and MS.

Re:Playing devil's advocate ...

drhyde on 2004-12-14T11:15:41

There's plenty of stuff governments do which was never in their manifestoes. It's called "reacting to events". People would whine just as much if they didn't react to events as you are about them reacting to events.

The *results* of ministerial discussions are accountable to and reversible by parliament. Parliament is sovereign above *all* other bodies, and can ignore EU directives if it sees fit. Parliament can also impeach ministers who refuse to do as they are told.