Political Bosses Back South East MEP

12.31.02pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th Sep 2005

Sharon with Fiona Hall (Lib Dem MEP for the North East)

Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament have won strong cross-party support for their campaign to force ministers to debate new EU laws in public.

In a remarkable and unique display of unity, the leaders of all the UK political groups in the European Parliament have joined with Sharon Bowles MEP for the South East in demanding that Britain uses its current presidency of the EU to inject new openness into decision-making.

A joint declaration to the Parliament has been signed not only by the Conservative and Labour leaders, but also by UKIP and the Green Party.

And in a letter to The Times newspaper published on Tuesday the MEPs wrote "it is unacceptable that Europe's most senior law-making body, the Council of Ministers, continues to meet behind closed doors when its members are debating new laws and it is acting as a legislative assembly.

"The principles of openness and transparency should apply whenever European laws are being made. They are essential if national parliaments are to fulfil their role and hold ministers to account for their actions."

Liberal Democrats MEPs put pressure on Tony Blair to tackle council secrecy when he spoke to the European Parliament at the beginning of the UK Presidency. The show of unity by the Britain's political bosses in Europe will increase pressure on Tony Blair to take a lead in bringing about change before the end of the year. The MEPs point out that the improvement requires only a simple change in the standing orders of ministerial meetings, needing the support of just 13 of Europe's 25 member states.

EU laws are drafted by the European Commission and then amended or rejected both by the European Parliament and by the Council of Ministers. While MEPs meet in public, government ministers meeting in Brussels debate new laws behind closed doors.

Sharon Bowles described the support she had received from political rivals as "remarkable", and congratulated them for taking political risks in signing the joint declaration.

"It shows the European Parliament at it best," she said. "Instead of point-scoring against opponents MEPs frequently bridge party differences when we share common cause, although rarely to this extent."

Sharon Bowles commented: "We are agreed that it is quite wrong for ministers to continue debating new EU laws behind closed doors in Brussels. If MPs in national parliaments are to do their job of holding ministers to account they have to know what is being said in their country's name."

Ends