South East MEP Challenges Blair on EU Secrecy

11.43.35am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 15th Jun 2006

Sharon Bowles and Liberal Democrat colleagues (Chris Davies, Sarah Ludford and Fiona Hall) protesting against Council secrecy during Tony Blair's visit to Strasbourg last year.

Tony Blair travels to a European Summit in Brussels today (Thursday) accused of leading the fight to keep secretive EU law-making.

South East MEP Sharon Bowles, who has been backing efforts to secure more open decision-taking, described the British position as "a backward step."

Proposals to make debates when Ministers discuss draft European laws open to public view have been tabled by Austria, the current holder of the EU Presidency.

Although they command the support of a majority of EU nations progress is unlikely if Britain maintains strong opposition.

Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, argued earlier this week that negotiations behind closed doors were sometimes essential for efficient and effective law-making.

The scene has been set for a major row with countries like Austria and Finland, which see no reason for secretive practices, set against Britain and its French allies on the issue.

Sharon Bowles has long argued that EU laws should be made in public.

The Liberal Democrat MEP argues that decisions must not be made behind closed doors because the House of Commons has no power to amend EU laws made jointly by Ministers and MEPs.

"How can Ministers be held to account if we do not know what they say on our behalf when acting as lawmakers in Brussels?," she said.

"Most European governments want the doors thrown open. It is shameful that Britain should be working so hard to keep the secretive old ways."

Ends