Advice: Netherlands should boost influence on EU decisions

If the Netherlands wants to remove the lack of confidence among its population regarding Europe, it should not wage information campaigns, but actually exercise more influence on EU decisions. “Government and parliament can and must play a much more active role in EU legislation and regulation,” declares the Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV).

The picture has arisen of much regulation being imposed one-sidedly by Brussels. This creates the impression among citizens that nobody has any influence on the decision-making process. But the Dutch government and parliament can actually exercise influence on decision-making. “Government and parliament should be able to put draft directives and decrees from ‘Brussels’ on the agenda much earlier than at present,” according to the report presented yesterday.

The AIV backs a number of recommendations by the Council of State, the government’s highest advisory body, to check EU proposals in the Upper and Lower House in a timely manner. In both Houses, “extra manpower must be freed up for the (bigger) parties” to follow the EU legislative process properly, according to the advice.

The Netherlands can also “persuade other member states to cooperate” to make the EU ministerial meetings public. The Netherlands can also work to ensure that the citizen’s initiative - a suggestion from the rejected EU Constitution - is welcomed after all, “even though this initiative can have no binding character without a new treaty.”

In the future, the role of the European Parliament should be strengthened in order to increase the involvement of the citizen. The AIV is thinking here of co-decision-making and full budget rights.

As well, the AIV advises politicians, including cabinet members, to be pro-active in bringing up questions that play a role in public opinion. “Parties can give a higher profile to their positions (on the EU) in the runup to national elections.” The AIV also notes that the Dutch feel an inadequate “political and cultural involvement” in Europe. Schools and social organisations should change this.

Finally, the AIV warns that government bodies “must guard against wanting to close the gap with more information: The more brochures, the more dissatisfaction.” More active involvement in European administration and with the effects of EU legislation and regulation on the other hand “can lead to Europe becoming the subject of fascinating politics in the Netherlands.”

Source: NIS News Bulletin