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ÖGB Europabüro, the Brussels office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation, AK EUROPA, the Brussels office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour and BEUC, the European consumer organisation, together with the Better Regulation Watchdog, a group of 63 trade union and civil society organisations, would like to invite you to our panel debate:

Better Regulation and the new Interinstitutional Agreement – A Threat to European Democracy?

Monday, 12 October 2015, 18:00h
Permanent Representation of Austria to the EU
30, Avenue de Cortenbergh, 1040 Brussels

The European Commission has made a proposal for a new Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) on Better Regulation to be finalised by the end of 2015. The binding agreement between the European Parliament and the Council should put into practice the principles contained in the better regulation agenda, simplifying EU legislation and reducing the “regulatory burden”. Since its publication in May 2015, the Commission’s proposal has been heavily criticised. Introducing new, complicated legislative procedures, the new IIA might actually add bureaucracy and hinder positive change.

What possibilities and challenges does the Better Regulation agenda pose in general? Will the new IIA give the Commission undue influence over the process of European law-making and threaten the democratic powers of the European Parliament, the Council, and social partners?

We would like to discuss the risks and opportunities of the Better regulation agenda and the IIA as well as the role of the European Parliament with key players in this debate.

On the panel:

Bernhard Achitz, General Secretary of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB)
Richard Corbett, MEP, S&D
Claude Turmes, MEP, Greens/EFA
Fabio De Masi, MEP, GUE/ NLG
Frédérique Ries, MEP, ALDE (tbc)

Moderation:

Dave Keating, Journalist

The discussion will be held in German and English with simultaneous translation. After the discussion we invite you to a buffet.

Register here