OT : EU un-democratic rules

Posted May 6, 2004 18:20 UTC (Thu) by bockman (guest, #3650)
In reply to: Fighting software patents: a report from Brussels by rjw
Parent article: Fighting software patents: a report from Brussels

"""
Thats why I don't get the whole EU constitution kerfuffle: Why bother
having referenda on this issue, when the whole set up of the EU as an
institution is so stridently undemocratic?
"""

Sorry for the OT, but I couldn't pass the option to vent my feeling on this :-).
As you probably know, today EU is more a diplomatic institution rather than a democratic institution. In some areas, it is as powerless as ONU, or even more. I usually smile when Americans compare USA with EU : we have a long way to go before having one democratic EU. Hey, I'm not even sure that the majority of today citizens _wants_ a really democratic EU...

Back in topic, given what I said before, I agree that making pressure at national level (but cordinating at european level) is the more effective way to put some sanity back in the IP legislation ... if this can be done.

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OT : EU un-democratic rules

Posted May 6, 2004 22:59 UTC (Thu) by rjw (guest, #10415) [Link]

Thats interesting, but the last time I checked, the EU creates laws that
trump the laws of individual states. ( Even if the state forever delays
implementation of EU law into local law).

What kind of citizen wants an entity that can do that to be undemocratic?
I'll tell you: amoral corporate officers who feel they can have an easier
time influencing the decisions of a supra national quango than those of a
parliament.

I'm very pro Europe, but the current state of the EU is totally
inexcuseable. I'm sick of defending such a vile mess to the xenophobes
that populate my country - I wish I had something much better to defend.