CHALLENGE TO BLAIR ON EU COUNCIL SECRECY

3.33.13pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 26th Oct 2005

Tony Blair was challenged on his arrival at the European Parliament in Strasbourg today to allow greater public scrutiny of the Brussels law-making process.

Europe powerful law-making upper-chamber is the Council of Ministers but its decisions are taken behind totally closed doors. Neither press nor public is allowed inside. Neither minutes or a public record of speeches or votes is available to the public.

Bill Newton Dunn, Liberal Democrat East Midlands Euro MP, called on the UK Prime Minister to use his Presidency of the EU to put the principle of openness into practice.

As Blair arrived, Bill showed him a poster demanding that "laws should not be made in secret," and reminded him that every EU head of government made a commitment to change the procedures when they signed the draft constitutional treaty.

A simple alteration in the Council's standing orders, requiring the votes of just 13 member states, is all that is required to implement the agreement. It is a small change with potentially huge significance for improving understanding of the way in which the EU works.

Bill commented:

"It's no wonder that the EU is accused of having a democratic deficit at its heart when ministers meet to debate laws in secret. Only North Korea and Beijing are as undemocratic as the Council of Ministers."

"National MPs need should hold ministers to account but they can not do so if they do not know what ministers say in their country's name, behind closed doors in Brussels. Bill coined the phrase 'democratic deficit' in a pamphlet he wrote attacking Council secrecy in 1986."