EU corruption scandal

Merely ?
Merely ?

They're in a very powerful position.
They are the only ones allowed to present legislation to the EU Parliament to be voted on.
The fact that their legislation can be voted down is neither here nor there, they can respond by writing more and more legislation tying up that Parliament in endless debate.
They can if they want try to trojan horse their policies inside bigger legislation in the hope that MEPs do not fully read and vote through things on principle.

And once a policy has been voted through, they are the executive of policy.

Well, Duh!

Who do you want to be able to present legislation on standardising laws within the EU? Because standardising laws is essentially what the EU concerns itself with, so as to remove trading barriers.

Every member state would prefer that its own laws were made the standard law across Europe because that would mean less disruption for that country. There are blocks of countries within the EU that already have essentially the same laws. These countries would just group together and put forward legislation that makes the law as it already applies in their countries the standard law across Europe.

That's no way to proceed. The result would be that the laws of the blocks with most voting power would become standard law across Europe, regardless of the quality of those laws or the disruption it would cause to other member states. Allowing the Commission to exclusively propose  laws, means that the best possible laws are introduced. The approach you appear to favour would result in laws which aren't directed at efficiency and fitness for purpose, but rather at the convenience and national interests of the member states with the most voting power in the EU Parliament.

Once again Vinny
THE COMMISSION CANNOT VOTE ON PROPOSED LEGISLATION. IT HAS NO POWER TO DESIGN PROPOSALS WHICH WILL BE REJECTED BY THE OTHER TWO ELECTED BODIES.
THEY CAN BE REMOVED BY THE PARLIAMENT.
IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT THEY PROPOSE. THE ELECTED PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL HAVE TO VOTE ON THE PROPOSALS.

You seem to think that the commission never talks to anyone and sits endlessly churning out ideas of their own.
First there are Merely 27 of them all with an equal voice. Each one is assigned a different field of interest.

Now what body with no voting influence would spend all its time producing proposals that won't be passed? They would be sacked by Parliament in 6 months.

On the other hand, the sitting government in London can dream up all the madness it wants and is sure to get it passed by the majority party being whipped...threatened...to support it.


And don't tell me we can change our government when we want. We have been "wanting to" for at least two years.


now if you insist on posting rubbish that shows a near naked understanding of the EU, which seems to be your mania, don't expect any replies from me. These discussions do not affect me or you or the UK anymore. They are boring and you are wrong. It doesn't matter how the EU is organised anymore.
I suggest you instead turn your attention to the difficulties the country is facing in its relationship with the EU.
Something that actually matters.

The council and Parliament have to vote on it.
And as I said, consider yourself ignored.
I cant stand your ignorant irrelevant boredom.

At the moment.
But they can legislate for the Parliament to vote them more powers.
They can legislate for standardised taxes, standardised speed limits, standardised pension levels, they can legislate for an EU military, they can legislate for EU media regulations.

The fact that they cannot vote on their own policies doesn't mean they don't have powers and the means to ask for more.

If they were elected, this would not be a problem for me.
But they're not.

At the time of the referendum, unanimity was already in the process of being replaced by Qualified Majority Votes.
www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/voting-system/qualified-majority/

And as of this year, the process to change EU treaties has been activated:

* Call on heads of state or government to set up a Convention to revise the Treaties.

* First batch of proposals for a new institutional setup for the EU.

* Abolition of veto powers, more EU powers in health, energy, defence, and social and economic policies.

* A full and direct right of legislative initiative for Parliament (this bit would be a good bit in my opinion as it puts legislative initiative into the hands of elected politicians rather than unelected Commissioners) and better protection of founding values.

* reforming voting procedures in the Council to enhance the European Union’s capacity to act, including switching from unanimity to qualified majority voting, in areas such as sanctions, the so-called passerelle clauses, and in emergencies.

* adapting the EU’s powers, especially in the areas of health and cross-border health threats, in the completion of the energy union based on efficiency and renewables in line with international agreements on climate change, in defence, and in social and economic policies.

* ensuring that the European Pillar of Social Rights is fully implemented and incorporating social progress, linked to a Social Progress Protocol, into the Treaties.

* making the EU economy more resilient, with special attention paid to small and medium-sized enterprises and competitiveness checks, and promoting investments focused on the just, green and digital transitions;

* providing Parliament with the right to initiate, amend or revoke legislation, and with full rights as a co-legislator on the EU budget; and
* strengthening the procedure to protect the EU’s founding values and clarifying the determination and consequences of breaches ( 7 TEU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights).

www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220603IPR32122/parliament-activates-process-to-change-eu-treaties

You're entitled to your views. And I respect you.
I have my views.

At the time of the referendum, I saw calls for reform fall on deaf ears, I saw no hope of meaningful democratic reform, I saw massive amounts of money being wasted, the CAP was at the time an atrociously mismanaged waste of money.
The EU Battlegroups alarmed me.
The EU's immigration policy had serious flaws.

I can think of lots of things I didn't like about the EU and not much I did like about it.