Activities of Alex AGIUS SALIBA related to 2021/2166(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on better regulation: joining forces to make better laws
Amendments (8)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the role of the better regulation programme is improving regulatory principles and reducing unnecessary burdens for businesses and citizens; underlines the importance of enabling citizens to fully exercise their democratic right to participate in the EU’s decision-making process and ensuring citizens’ direct participation; underlines that it is essential for the EU to ensure increased transparency at different levels of policy-making; calls on the Commission to continuously improve public consultations in order to ensure citizens’ participation and to take into account feedback from other institutions on such activities; stresses that public consultations on better law-making in the EU should be accessible to citizens and civil society through different outreach channels, should be translated into all official and co-official languages of the Member States, and should have easy-to-s well as in all national sign languages and easy- to-read version, and should have citizen- friendly access to documents;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 2 – point 1 (new)
(1) Stresses that COVID-19 crisis must not be used as an excuse to open up for regulatory exceptions for SMEs; highlights that a green, inclusive and fair recovery must not be built on lowering standards, as this only risks creating double-standards and a race to the bottom; stresses that business interests alone cannot be put on an equal footing with the general interest, which also includes the interests of workers, citizens, consumers and the environment;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 3 – point 1 (new)
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 4 – point 1 (new)
(1) Supports the Commission’s objective to simplify legislation and reduce burdens; stress that care is needed to ensure that it is done in an appropriate manner so that simplification does not come at the cost of clarity for beneficiaries and public administrations and weaken the mechanisms in place to deliver results;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – point 2 (new)
Paragraph 4 – point 2 (new)
(2) Notes the Commission’s will to strengthen the role of the Regular Scrutiny Board in scrutinising impact assessments and evaluations in light of the “one in, one out” approach; regrets the lack of transparency of this body while it should pave the strategic foresight and appropriate consideration of the various effects of the Covid-19 crisis;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 1 (new)
(1) Highlights that the Commission persists in failing to address EU law making as a positive and necessary investment in and for society as a whole, with a long-term perspective;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 7 – point 1 (new)
(1) Criticises the need for the ‘one in, one out’ approach, since it represents a quantitative assessment of legislation as a short-term burden and a cost rather than focusing objectively on the quality of regulation and its merits, in the medium and long term; regrets that this focus on burden and cost reduction is inconsistent with the needs and realities of EU policymaking, and could jeopardise the Commission’s responsibility to deliver quality regulation, and create a counter- productive effect on any new environmental or social legislation;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the role of specific tools, such as the European Citizens’ Initiative and the European Ombudsman, in improving Commission regulation; recalls that the Conference on the Future of Europe should be continuously improved in order for the citizens to communicate the real impacts of legislation at national, local and regional level and to make suggestions on how to achieve better law-making; notes that the Commission should develop new tools to give citizens direct access to and involvement in EU policy-making in order to exercise their fundamental right;