[pp.int.general] PPI platform for EU Election 2009

[Reinier Bakels]

>    In practice, imho the most serious problem is de lack of visibility of 
> the
>    EU and EU politics. Newsmedia hardly ever report about European 
> politics (a
>    checken and egg problem). It is an ideal enviroment for corporate 
> lobbyists
>    and for "policy laundering".
>
> That may be a significant part of problem (I take your word for it)
> but another big aspect is structural: the parliament has little power,
> and the national governments (represented in the council of ministers)
> are easily bought by megacorporations.

I witnessed the debate on software patents both in the Dutch and the 
European Parliament. The latter was much more opaque. In national 
parliaments, there is usually a debate. In the EP, everything goes via 
amendments - which is a cumbersome procedure that makes it hard to debate 
essential issues. And the statement "we don't want this directive at all" 
for another directive was considered not tactical because then one is no 
longer part of the debate, which still makes sense as long as there is a 
nonzero probablity that the directive would eventually be accepted.

In my perception, the risk of the parliament being "bought" is not the most 
important source of problems. It is rather the non-involvement of the 
parliament: much happens by bodies like COPREPER (permanent representation 
in Brussels) at the government official level. The Council is a "wine & 
dine" event that only approves what already has been decided by these 
officials - who are effectively without any government control whatsovever.

Another persistent source of problems is that the EU itself has only limited 
staff. So they happily accept the help of e.g. an attorney offered  by 
Microsoft to lend them a hand! The good news is that the help of 
counter-lobbyist (such as the FFII) is also readily accepted, in particular 
by parliament members. PP is badly needed.

reinier