Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005
Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005 |
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The assumption of the European Union (EU) Council presidency by Britain from July — for the sixth time — against the backdrop of the recent deep divisions within Europe reveals starkly the inherent limitations of this office owing largely to its rotational character. This, ironically, is an issue addressed in the proposed constitution that has been rejected by the citizens of France and the Netherlands and is now in a limbo. A legacy from the 1951 European Steel and Coal Community, the Council has emerged as the EU's main decision-making body since the 1965 Treaty of Brussels. Today, the Council gathers Ministers from the governments of all the 25 member-states to legislate on a wide range of areas. However, its democratic basis has not deepened to match its expanding mandate. For instance, all EU legislation has to be initiated by the European Commission — a non-elected body. A grouping that places so much emphasis on democratic governance and upholding of the rule of law as preconditions for potential member-countries, should first restore the prerogative of law-making to its own parliament. The symbolic equality of member-states under the rotation of the presidency twice annually is at the expense of effective leadership and direction. The draft constitution has sought to correct some of these serious democratic deficits. It proposes the election of a permanent president of the Council by a qualified majority for two and a half years, renewable once; this makes eminent sense, considering that the presidents of the Commission and the Parliament are accorded a five-year term.
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