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Fridge fiasco shows what is wrong with EU is not Brussels but Britain
April 17, 2002 12:00 AM
Michael Meacher's admission that the Government did not fully understand the implications of the EU's Directive on fridge recycling, shows that the scrutiny of European legislation in the UK is 'close to non-existent and is very worrying for the future', says Diana Wallis, leader of the UK Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament.
"It is clear that this is not the first nor last example. The fact that Michael Meacher admits to being unaware of a single precedent for UK signing up to an EU regulation without understanding all of its implications is small comfort. We have at least to learn from this experience, that we only lose if we do not participate fully in the EU legislative process."
"The post legislative scrutiny offered by a number of Westminster committees is both cursory and too late in the process. Westminster could do no worse than look at the Finnish model. In Helsinki, a Grand Committee of the national Parliament grills Ministers both before and after Council meetings, keeping abreast of national interests as the legislative process actually happens in Brussels and Strasbourg. Is it then small wonder that the Finns have one of the best records in implementing and accepting EU law?"
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