letter to the editor from Richard Corbett MEP |
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14 September 2005 |
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Tribune |
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Sir, Given the ceaseless Tory tabloid diatribe about Europe wanting to regulate everything and impose undue burdens on industry, it comes as something as a shock to read Bob Crow claiming that " Brussels " wants to deregulate everything and is somehow pushing the privatisation agenda! (Tribune, 9 September) The truth, as usual, is somewhere in between. We do need common rules for our common market; without them, it would be a free-for-all where only the rich and powerful win out. When we get it right, European legislation can be far more effective than 25 different sets of national regulations on matters such as consumer protection, the environment, and competition policy (notably to take on multinationals) - as well as minimum social, health and safety standards to avoid social dumping and a race to the bottom. But the key words here are "when we get it right". The adoption of European law is subject to the same political battles as the adoption of national legislation. As in Westminster, legislation is sometimes adopted which we are less than happy with. But, when we win our battles, we can make substantial progressive gains through European legislation. We've seen this over the years in the Working Time Directive, the Parental Leave Directive, countless health and safety directives, and most of our environmental and consumer protection legislation. It's crucial to understand that this is a political process. Bob Crow's portrayal of the EU being run by unaccountable bureaucrats, imposing policies on hapless national governments, would be laughable if it were not, unfortunately, a widespread perception fostered usually by the Conservative and far-right eurosceptics. In fact, EU legislation is adopted by elected national governments meeting in the EU Council and by directly-elected MEPs in the European Parliament. The European Commission only has the power to make proposals and to carry out what has been agreed. Bob Crow should stop talking in clichés and using the currency of tabloid mythology. In pandering to the prejudices peddled by our right-wing tabloid press, he is doing no service to the Labour movement. Richard Corbett |
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