FFII.org: Open Letter to the EU: Constitution, We Have a Problem

“An MEP who saw our press release noted that ‘it certainly
appears that the Council presidency took some procedural
shortcuts.’ That is an extremely diplomatic way to put it. The
Council Presidency spoke in name of the entire Council (pluralis
majestatis as it were) and reversed voting requirements. The rules
states that ‘an A item (formal point) shall be taken off the agenda
if a member state so requests or if it might lead to further
discussions, unless the Council decides otherwise.’

“When Denmark asked for that, the Presidency simply announced it
did not want to take it off, instead of asking whether there was a
majority against taking it off. Therefore, ‘unless the Council
decides otherwise’ became ‘if a majority of the Council wants to go
against the Presidency’s will, while not even a vote has been
called.’ This might seem like splitting hairs, but in the Council
where every sign of opposition is presented to us as something
which foreshadows the end of EU decision making as we know it, this
is a difference between night and day…”

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