“Blame Brussels.” This familiar response from politicians can be heard all over Europe, with policy-makers from Sweden to Poland, from Germany to Greece, shifting responsibility for unpopular or controversial legislation to a faceless, decision-making body stifled by bureaucracy. The UK found so much to “Blame Brussels” for, that in 2016 the country made the decision to leave the EU altogether.
When pointing their accusing finger at the ‘EU’ what many people don‘t realise is that the politicians are actually pointing at themselves: the Council of the EU, the EU's main legislative body is comprised of representatives from the now 27 Member States. It is responsible – often but not always together with the European Parliament – for all law-making within the European Union.
Investigate Europe (IE) has spent recent months looking into the workings of the Council of the EU, Europe's most powerful and secretive legislative body, and finding that governments often (mis)use their power to indefinitely delay important initiatives.
