Parliaments to get new powers to block ‘unwanted’ EU law: report

PanARMENIAN.Net - National parliaments will get new powers to block "unwanted" EU law as part of the UK's renegotiations with Brussels, BBC News reported, citing Downing Street sources.

To trigger the so-called "red card", at least 55% of the EU's national parliaments would have to join forces. The measure is expected to be included in the draft deal being presented by EU Council president Donald Tusk later.

The Vote Leave campaign said it was a "trivial" proposal which would do little to restore power to the UK. But Downing Street sources said David Cameron had "delivered on a manifesto commitment" to secure the "explicit agreement", which could be activated up to 12 weeks after a new law had been proposed.

Tusk's draft agreement, to be put forward on Tuesday, Feb 2, follows months of talks between UK and EU officials.

It has not received final agreement from other EU leaders, who will gather for a summit on Feb 18 and 19. If agreement is secured at the summit, it could pave the way for the UK's in/out referendum to be held in June.

But Tusk warned of "outstanding issues" as he announced his plan to circulate the draft "new settlement".

These are thought to include objections to Cameron's bid to curb the welfare entitlement of EU migrants. He has proposed denying in-work benefits to all EU migrants until they have been in the UK for four years, saying this would reduce high levels of immigration to the UK.

The UK could use this to deny in-work benefits to EU migrants but it would have to prove public services were under excessive strain and would need the approval of other EU states, the BBC says.

The proposal was to allow the UK to be able to impose the brake within three months of applying for it but Cameron wants it triggered immediately after the EU referendum. He also says there should be no time limit on its use.

Another of Cameron's demands is for stronger powers for national parliaments to resist EU law.

Under the current "yellow card" system, introduced in 2009, parliaments can get together to formally accuse the European Commission of overstepping its remit, and the commission can decide to maintain, amend or withdraw the proposal.

However, it has been little used so far, with only a small number of EU laws attracting attention from a substantial number of parliaments.

The treaty rules only oblige the commission to provide a written response to complaints, justifying why a set of proposals meet the bloc's rules on "subsidiarity".

According to the BBC, Downing Street sources said the new proposal would strengthen this power and ensure the commission "cannot just ignore the will of national parliamentarians".

If 55% of parliaments club together, they could force proposed laws to be stopped altogether or amended.