Brussels, 10/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - After the presentation of the revised draft on institutions by the Praesidium of the European Convention (see EUROPE of 7 June, pages 4 and 6), Jens-Peter Bonde, David Heathcoat-Amory and Jan Zahradil from the Democracy Forum, announced that they will present a Convention "minority report". In their view, the Praesidium's draft "will move many more decisions from the Member States to Brussels and weaken our parliamentary democracies" as "the European Parliament does not gain the powers taken from the national parliaments".
"It is a dangerous denial of democracy", British Conservative David Heathcoat-Amory states in a press release regarding the possibility of giving up unanimity in future for qualified majority, without having to go through an IGC. Such a change should be decided by unanimity, the House of Commons member concedes, but "there would be constant pressure in the years to come to trigger it. To resist, Member States would inevitably have to give ground elsewhere in order to appear 'good Europeans'". He concludes: "It is a federalist clause. The Government must veto it".