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Sunday 9 January 2011

UK News :: EU to grab yet more power of Parliament

MPs will be powerless to prevent Ministers signing away sweeping controls over policing and justice to Brussels, despite the European Union Bill currently going through Parliament.
The legislation, due to reach its crucial Committee Stage on Tuesday, is supposed to stop the drain of sovereign powers to Brussels without a referendum or Parliamentary approval.
However damning research by respected independent think tank Open Europe has revealed a series of loopholes that will leave huge areas of justice and home affairs open to EU takeover.
At the heart of the Bill is the Government’s so-called Referendum Lock, designed to give British citizens a vote over any proposals for major transfers of power from Westminster to the EU.
However, critics say the lock could be “picked by a child” because, as it currently stands, the Bill neglects a huge range of areas where British Ministers will be able to opt into new EU laws without even seeking approval from MPs in Parliament.
The 2007 Lisbon Treaty has given the European Commission greater powers to draw up new laws, it has given the European Parliament the power to amend them and the European Court of Justice more power to enforce them.

Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/221981/EU-to-grab-yet-more-powerEU-to-grab-yet-more-power#ixzz1AXjGXB00
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