The changes, passed on Tuesday, are designed for purposes including stopping members wasting time and money by going to their Brussels overlords with pointless questions, forcing through legislation undemocratically and shouting profanities to get attention.
MEPs are notorious for submitting written questions to the European Commission in an attempt to give the impression of activity.
The questions are widely regarded as a waste of time and money, and often cover trivial topics – such as the importance of circus art.
But the flailing eurocrats will be forced to cease such behaviour next month, when a cap of 20 questions “over a rolling period of three months” will be put into place.
MEPs will also have to submit a “mission report” to the parliament president with all information garnered from so-called “fact-finding visits” – to prevent them using official trips to faraway countries as holidays.
And members will be banned from making official trips anyway under the amendments if they resort to childlike behaviour – such as flag-waving and shouting obscenities – in an attempt to get attention.
The changes will also place intense scrutiny on the business affiliations of Brussels bureaucrats after revelations of conflicts of interest with two major commissioners were uncovered this year.
The parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee will now put any financial declarations made by prospective commissioners under the microscope to ensure the statements are “accurate and complete” before they take office.
And if any affiliations are ruled to be problematic, MEPs can conclude the commissioner to be “unable to exercise his or her function”.
Trilogues – a fast-track legislative process notorious for undermining a democratic process – will also be subject to checks and balances thanks to the overhaul.
No comments:
Post a Comment