Better lawmaking 1998 and 1999: follow-up of the report COM(1998)0345 and report for the European Council in Helsinki

The European Parliament endorsed the resolution drafted by Mr Joachim WUERMERLING (EPP/ED, D) on the 1998 and 1999 Commission report on "Better Lawmaking". The House voted by 132 voted in favour and 47 against with 5 abstentions. With regard to the report in particular, the Parliament calls on the Commission to include in its future reports a section detailing why it chose to put forward specific proposals for regulations or directives so that it can be determined whether the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality were applicable or not. The Commission is also called upon to promote the use of clearer language. More importantly, the Commission is requested to include a some sort of scoreboard of 'superfluous' legislation with a view to repealing that legislation and ensuring that the existing body of law is indeed simplified, transparent and effective. As regards subsidiarity, the Parliament takes the view that the subsidiarity principle and proportionality must apply in all areas of legislation, including the decisions as to whether to make a matter the subject of internal market legislation. Equally, Member States are called upon to improve their scrutiny of EU legislation and policymaking and to hold their own governments to greater account fo their actions at EU level. Finally, the Commission should inform the public of their rights and duties under European legislation policy.�