Insufficient oversight by the Commission over EU legislation

4.2.2019

Question for written answer E-000626-19
to the Commission
Rule 130
Sophia in 't Veld (ALDE) , Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (ALDE)

During this mandate, the European Union has welcomed a broad range of legislation on stricter norms and standards in the fields of the environment, food safety, animal welfare, agricultural subsidies, data protection and the fight against corruption and money laundering. EC laws set clear and strict standards for the Member States. Serious shortcomings do, however, exist with respect to the implementation and oversight of EC law by national authorities, as confirmed by research conducted by the European Court of Auditors.[1]

Against this background:

• —Does the Commission acknowledge that the systematic and ongoing lack of oversight of EU legislation by national supervisory authorities means that EU citizens have misgivings about the effectiveness of EU legislation, which is particularly alarming in a year in which European elections are being held?
• —Does it agree with the recommendations on the Commission’s oversight responsibilities made by the European Court of Auditors in its report and if not, why not?
• —What steps will it take to improve the implementation and oversight of EU legislation by national authorities, in the short and in the long term?

• [1] Landscape review — Putting EC law into practice: The European Commission’s oversight responsibilities under Article 17(1) of the Treaty on European Union, https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocuments/LR_EU_LAW/LR_EU_LAW_EN.pdf