This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Call for EU to adapt to survive
09/11/2004
If a new European law is showing no measurable
benefit after five years it should be repealed or amended,
a seminar in Brussels was told today by First Minister Jack
McConnell.
He challenged the European Commission to be less
bureaucratic and more responsive to what people want
and suggested several reforms to bring Europe closer to
people, including a limit on the number of proposals the
Commission could make each year and a new system of
evaluating European laws.
Mr McConnell is currently President of REGLEG, the
network of devolved nations and regions within the EU.
The 5th annual conference of the RegLeg is
due to be held in Edinburgh on November
29-30.
During his speech he also pointed out that Europe's
regions and devolved nations, including Scotland, should
have big role to play in changing the way the EU works.
He said:
"The European Union's credibility will be damaged if its
regulations and laws don't make sense to people.
"The Commission needs to hold back on the number of laws
it brings forward, and it needs to demonstrate that its
proposals work.
"But whatever approach is taken, I firmly believe there
has to be a change in culture if the EU is to survive."
He went on: "The European Union has brought peace and
stability to Europe, and it provides us with a framework to
create a sustainable future for all our citizens.
"But while it is an important part of our lives, public
satisfaction with Europe has been in decline for some time.
Europe's institutions have to earn the trust of the people
they serve, they have to show that the EU can make a
practical difference, and that is not simply a distant
bureaucracy that gets in the way.
"Devolution in Scotland has helped build democratic
renewal and through my Presidency of REGLEG I know that
there are many regions keen to share their experience of
accountable, relevant government."