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Secret negotiations of EU laws unacceptable
October 24, 2006 2:08 PM
Ministers of the Interior of the so-called 'G6' group of major EU countries will meet tomorrow in Stratford-upon-Avon in the UK to discuss European justice & home affairs issues including terrorism, organised crime and migration.
However, this meeting, like previous meetings of the G6 (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland) is shrouded in secrecy.
When Liberal Democrat European justice spokeswoman Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP asked the UK government for a copy of the meeting's agenda she was told there was no formal agenda because "it's informal (that's a lot of the attraction)". She was also told that "any conclusions will, probably, be put on the Home Office website".
Baroness Ludford commented:
"This complete lack of transparency and accountability of the G6 leads to suspicion that it is an undemocratic way of prescribing solutions on sensitive issues like immigration and terrorism. While it can certainly be helpful for Ministers of a few countries to discuss policy informally, the danger is that their conclusions get imposed as law for the EU as a whole without proper scrutiny."
"Decision-making within the EU can be complex and cumbersome. However, huddling in quiet corners is not the answer, and governments should be focussing their energy on making EU mechanisms with democratic oversight workable."
"The secrecy of this UK-hosted meeting is also a slap in the face of the Westminster parliament. The House of Lords European committee called just a few months ago* for the results of G6 meetings to be fully publicised by the Home Office, a ministerial statement made to Parliament, and the papers sent to the relevant European scrutiny and home affairs committees."
*Behind Closed Doors:the meeting of the G6 interior ministers at Heiligendamm, July 2006
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