CONSERVATIVE MEP ROUNDS ON BUZEK FOR SAYING THERE'S NOT MUSHROOM FOR TRANSPARENCY
Posted, November 24, 2009 @ 00:00
Strasbourg 24 November 2009. Conservative spokesman on Constitutional Affairs in the European Parliament Ashley Fox has rounded on the President of the European Parliament for blocking a more transparent approach to the parliamentary decision making process. It is simply not acceptable to treat our citizens like mushrooms, keeping them in the dark and covering them with fertiliser, he said.
The Parliament was due to vote on an amendment by veteran MEP Elmar Brok that proposed that key decisions would be transferred from the Bureau, which meets in private, to the Parliament, which meets in public. The move was blocked by the President using a technical procedural device.
In a speech to the Parliament in Strasbourg last night Mr Fox rounded on Mr Buzek, the European Parliament President. He said,
"I believe that our constituents have a right to know how we reach decisions. The European Parliament should be as transparent as possible. It is regrettable that our President thinks otherwise.
"More disturbing, is that fearful of losing the vote, he has resorted to a procedural device to prevent debate. This is undemocratic. And at a time when everyone talks about making the EU more transparent and closer to its citizens, it smacks of hypocrisy.
"If the European Union is to increase transparency we need to take action, not just mouth platitudes on the subject.
It is simply not acceptable to treat our citizens like mushrooms, keeping them in the dark and covering them with fertiliser. I can assure President Buzek that this issue will not go away. He will have to face a vote sooner or later."