14 February 2017

Politico: Juncker moves to stop countries from hiding behind Brussels

The first idea is to end the current system whereby abstaining member countries are given weight when calculating a qualified majority — equivalent to 55 percent of countries representing 65 percent of the bloc’s population. Such a move would help save the Commission from having to make a final decision in case of abstentions. [...]

Juncker’s proposal will also focus on a so-called “second referral” to the appeal committee. In other words, if there is no qualified majority during an initial appeal, EU states will be made to vote again with the idea of reaching a consensus. Finally, the Commission will propose forcing countries to reveal their voting positions.

This part of the proposal is far from guaranteed success. “Will it go anywhere is a big question,” said one source who had seen the proposal. “Responsibility is a heavy matter.”

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