Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-10-08-Speech-3-086"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-10-08"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Better lawmaking2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20031008.8.3-086"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-10-08-Speech-3-0872
lpv:speaker	lp:Margrietus van den Berg2
lpv:spokenAs	vice-chair; PES (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Partij van de Arbeid (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Committee on Development and Cooperation (2002-01-22--2004-07-19)3 member; Members from the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) (2002-02-06--2004-07-19)3 substitute; AFCO (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and Mexico (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, I should like to thank Mr Medina Ortega. For me, better legislation means European governance that is more democratic, achieves more for its citizens and becomes more comprehensible for everyone – a more efficient, more democratic, more transparent Europe. That was the Convention’s key objective in drafting the constitution. Some Heads of Government were at risk this weekend of slipping back into their old power and money games, thereby, in actual fact, overlooking what the European public actually wants. Fortunately, we are able – and this is also topic of discussion here – to do a great deal within the parameters of the European Treaties. In the White Paper on ‘European governance’, the Commission has tabled a large number of proposals for better governance, of which improvements in the legislative process formed an important part. This is an area in which we have made some real progress. The Commission has meanwhile tabled various proposals in this framework, including the programme for consolidation, codification and simplification of legislation, which will reduce the volume of legislation by no fewer than 35 000 pages. This should, for a change, get a mention in the papers. In the area of legislation, however, the co-legislators – Parliament and the Council – should be given a central role. The Commission made an unfortunate start, but later decided on an agreement with Parliament and the Council, which culminated in the interinstitutional agreement. It gives plenty of scope for a swifter, simpler European approach in areas such as environment and social policy. If, however, the results are not satisfactory, Parliament can intervene and claim, and indeed exercise, its right as co-legislator. In my view, the Commission and the Council have been far too slow to concede this, and they are still showing far too little generosity. After all, there is no real democracy without Parliament. Nobody needs a technocratic power governing above and without the European people. What we do need is a drastic approach to tackle excessively lengthy procedures, the lack of results and the overall transparency deficit. In this House, Mr van Doorn tabled a proposal for a bureaucracy test of some kind, an independent assessment. I rather like the concept, provided that the information we gain from this eventually ends up with us as co-legislators. In the final analysis, decisions must, of course, be taken by us in unison, together with the Council, and that is, of course, at the heart of the struggle we are having here, so I hope that the Commission is prepared to deliver on the agreements."@en1

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