Transferring power to bureaucrats in Brussels
MARCH 2011:The unelected European Commission (right) is set to gain considerable power as new rules on decision-making in the 300-odd European Union committees dealing with the detailed implementation of EU laws – a procedure known as ‘comitology’ – came into force last week.
Under the new regulations it will be much harder for experts from the EU’s subject states to block Commission dictates in these committees. Also the experts’ right to refer controversial edicts of the unelected Commission to the Council of – elected – Ministers has been severely cut back.
An European Union official is quoted saying:
"The Commission is in control of the agenda and can push its own interests. It can now adopt its own proposals unless there is a qualified majority of member state experts against it."
