This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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FM calls for EU early warning
22/11/2005
First Minister Jack McConnell today urged the European Commission to give the Scottish government early warning of any European legislative proposals which may impact on Scotland.
He was speaking in Munich at the annual conference of RegLeg, the network for Europe's devolved nations and regions. Europe's Constitutional Treaty had carved out a bigger role for devolved governments in Europe, but following the Dutch and French referenda, the treaty's future is now uncertain.
But Mr McConnell today argued that treaty change was not required to foster more effective relationships between devolved governments and the European Commission.
He said: "Treaty change is not needed to build stronger links between devolved governments such as our own and the European Commission.
"We need to ensure that decisions are taken at the right level, involving the right people. Devolved governments are closer to the people who elect them than the European Commission. By giving us advance warning of new European laws we can help make better laws.
"That would be a huge step forward for Europe's legitimacy and credibility."
He pointed to the North Sea Regional Advisory Committee on Fisheries as an example of the benefits of increasing regional involvement in European decision making.
He said: "After only one year it is already delivering high quality advice to the Commission, advice that reflects the local situation. And it is helping to create solutions that will resolve specific regional problems.
"If Europe is to prosper, then its institutions must understand the concerns and ambitions of the people they serve. Devolved governments have a direct relationship with their citizens, and are often the main body responsible for implementing EU law. If our voice is stronger, then that ultimately strengthens Europe."
Article 6 of the Protocol on the Application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality makes provision for national and, where appropriate, regional parliaments to be involved in an "early warning mechanism" for assessing whether proposed European legislation complies with the principle of subsidiarity. The mechanism would allow the Scottish Parliament, working in consultation with Westminster, to consider the effects of proposed EU legislation in Scotland.
The members of RegLeg, who represent nearly half the population of the European Union, will sign the Munich declaration today. The declaration will welcome efforts by the European institutions to promote better regulation and communication, as well as calling on the European Commission to consult with regions and nations with legislative power when proposing new laws. See: www.regleg.org