Germany to push for faster EU lawmaking

The German EU presidency will initiate a debate on dropping old EU bills at the end of the European parliament's mandate.

German chancellor Angela Merkel pleaded in favour of the so-called “discontinuity principle” during her opening speech at the European parliament on 17 January.

The discontinuity concept says that any EU bills which have not passed on third reading are discarded by the end of the European parliament’s legislative period.

The practice, which is common in several EU countries, effectively means a newly-elected parliament – and by extension, commission – is not bound by decisions made by the outgoing one.

“I hope we can discuss the so-called discontinuity principle… although I know this is a difficult subject,” Merkel told MEPs.

“This is good democratic practice in most member states. Why should it not be introduced in Europe?” she added.

Writing in the latest issue of Parliament Magazine, MEP Werner Langen also endorses the principle – arguing that it would mean the commission “would not be obliged to defend any controversial proposals of the outgoing one, such as the services directive, if it does not support them”.

Merkel told MEPs that “when a new commission and parliament are formed, a fresh political start could then be made”.

“I am sure that such a democratic cut-off point would lend the elections to the European parliament even greater importance,” she said.

“I ask the deputies of the European parliament to support this idea, also by submitting proposals and ideas to the presidency,” she told MEPs.

Proponents of the discontinuity principle argue that chopping draft laws that have not passed is in line with the commission’s drive to cut red tape by a quarter by 2012.

The proposal, a major project launched by industry commissioner Günter Verheugen, has so far met with limited success – Verheugen is now relaunching the project in a bid to build more momentum.

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