Estonia supports UK proposal to increase role of parliaments in EU legislative process
Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Kalle Palling (Reform) sent a letter to EC president Donald Tusk on Thursday in support of increasing the role of national parliaments in the drafting of EU legislation.
The heads of the EU affairs committees of the Seimas of Latvia, the Saeima of Lithuania, the Senate of Poland and the Parliament of Cyprus also joined the letter, spokespeople for the Riigikogu said.
Increasing the role of national parliaments is one of the proposals the UK wishes to negotiate in their relations with the EU at the meeting of the European Council beginning on Friday.
"It is the so-called red card initiative, according to which the Council of the EU should stop the legislative proceedings on a draft legislation if more than 55 percent of national parliaments are against it. Also, the European Commission should analyze the legislative drafting initiatives more than it has done so far, and introduce them to the member states," Palling said.
He added that this way it would be possible to check the relevance of draft legislation, and avoid unnecessary legislative obstacles to citizens and entrepreneurs.
At the European Council meeting, which begins today, negotiations will be held with the UK over a new agreement with the European Union concerning the mutual relations between the euro area and the member states that do not belong to it, improving the competitiveness of the EU, sovereignty, and the free movement of persons.
The EU affairs committee of the Riigikogu discussed the issue and authorized Kalle Palling to sign the letter in its meeting of 12 February.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn