Local Euro MP fights the fog of EU lawmaking (Diana Wallis MEP)

Diana Wallis MEP <info@dianawallismep.org.uk>

Local Euro MP fights the fog of EU lawmaking

April 18, 2006 3:00 PM

The European Parliament has discussed local Liberal Democrat MEP, Diana Wallis's reports on 'better lawmaking'.

The main report, 'Monitoring the application of Community law', calls for more transparent and better law-making at EU level by presenting several original reform proposals, including attaching a citizen-friendly summary at the beginning of each and every EU legislative act. It also aims to streamline the procedure which the European Commission uses to detect and pursue infringements by EU member countries.

Diana Wallis MEP, the author of the reports from the Parliament's Petitions Committee and Legal Affairs Committee shadow, said in the debate in the European Parliament:

"It is important that the European Parliament is at the forefront of the 'better law-making' debate and will on this occasion be making a strong commitment to reforming and improving the functioning of the EU and in doing so hopefully fight the fog of EU lawmaking.

"I believe every directive should be as clear as possible, and we legislators should regard the primary audience of every directive as interested private citizens, not lawyers.

"Directives may never be written in the plainest of plain language, but they should at least be understandable to ordinary people who are prepared to make an effort.

"For this reason my proposals are supported by the Plain Language Commission."

Voting on Diana Wallis's reports will take place in Strasbourg in May.

Notes:

Plain Language Commission report on 'Clarifying Eurolaw' can be found at:

www.clearest.co.uk/files/ClarifyingEurolaw.pdf

Diana Wallis MEP's reports can be found at: http://www.europarl.eu.int/activities/expert/committees/reports.do?committee=1247&language=EN

Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament have been at the forefront of the campaign to secure transparency and openness from the Council of Ministers.

6 September 2005 - http://www.libdemmeps.org.uk/news/72.html

5 July 2005 - http://libdemmeps.org.uk/news/54.html

23 June 2005 - http://www.libdemmeps.org.uk/news/index200506.html