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Microsoft, a sponsor for the presidency of the EU?

Posted May 15, 2004 6:44 UTC (Sat) by beejaybee (guest, #1581)
In reply to: Microsoft, a sponsor for the presidency of the EU? by Mike7
Parent article: Microsoft, a sponsor for the presidency of the EU?

The problem here is that the EU is NOT a democracy. The EU Parliament is subservient to the wholly unelected Commission; also note that the EU accounts have not been approved by the auditors for more than a decade.

Unfortunately the situation we have is much worse than that in the USA, where there is at least a veneer of public accountability.

EU residents, please remember this when engaging in the "democratic" process of electing new MEPs next month.

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Microsoft, a sponsor for the presidency of the EU?

Posted May 15, 2004 7:30 UTC (Sat) by dmantione (guest, #4640) [Link]

The members of the commision are subject to democratic control of the
national parliaments. However, no national parliament seems interrested in
calling back his commisioner. This might have something to do with that all
opposition to the proposal has been targeted until now at the EU, not at the
national goverments/parliaments.

Microsoft, a sponsor for the presidency of the EU?

Posted May 17, 2004 10:46 UTC (Mon) by mk270 (guest, #4485) [Link]

No, the members of the Commission are NOT subject to the democratic control of the national parliaments in any way shape or form.

You may be confusing the Commission with the Council, which comprises representatives of member state governments (and not of member state parliaments). Note that any chain of democratic accountability tying the Council back to the electorate is necessarily a highly indirect one.