May 28, 2009

Facts you did not know about the European Union

 

Dear EUD contact,

 

It is time to raise the fundamental questions about the lack of democracy in the EU and our proposals on how to overcome the democratic deficit.

 

I send you a documentation on 5 major topics: Democracy, Accountability, Transparency, Subsidiarity and Salaries. The fact sheets are all included in the newest updated net lexicon: http://euABC.eu

 

You can use all information from the euABC for free. It now offers explanations for 1200 words, many news and thousands of useful links.

 

The euABC is written, among others, by Jens-Peter Bonde, a Member of the European Parliament from 1979 until 2008 and former President of the EUD.

 

Anthony Coughlan

President Foundation for EU Democracy

 

 

Facts of interest during the election campaign:

 

Your Commissioner did not reject one single proposal in the Commission during the last 5 years – there was simply not one single vote to do so. Therefore we need to elect our own Commissioner in elections...

 

The parliamentary democracy guaranteed in your national constitution is only respected at the European level for the adoption of maximum 10 % of the rules – the tip of the iceberg. Therefore we need strong reform where all laws are adopted by elected members of parliament at both the European and national level.

 

In 2008, 1263 new rules came out of Europe; they were decided by civil servants behind closed doors in the Commission. Another 404 were decided only the Council of Ministers. Compare this to only 132 laws which were adopted by the Council and the European Parliament together. Of these 1799 new rules only one single law had to have the positive support of a majority vote in the European Parliament (in the so-called third reading where this majority is necessary for a law to be adopted). Therefore, we both need full transparency and democracy.

 

In 2008 most governments simply accepted every single law put forward. However, there are seven countries who voted no to one proposal each, these are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal and Luxembourg (that did so twice).

 

Your Commissioner can add to their pension after 5 years on the top of national pensions – without paying tax to their country of origin.

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