EU EU CHIEF: OUR WORK SHOULD NOT BE TRANSPARENT (9 Aug 2014)

[Anjaffm]

The EU finally admit it openly:
The European Union does its dirty work behind closed doors and holds ordinary people in contempt. - "Trilogue" on e-cigs, anyone?
EU CHIEF: OUR WORK SHOULD NOT BE TRANSPARENT

In what might be considered a major gaffe, the European Union’s (EU) chief scientific adviser Anne Glover has just insisted her work should be “not transparent” and should be kept out of the public eye.

Her advice to the Commission chief is often on controversial topics such as global warming, genetically modified crops and nuclear power. You might assume these are important issues that deserve scrutiny, but the EU and Dr. Glover clearly disagree.
Technocracy is government by unelected so-called “experts”. As practised by the EU, technocracy is even less appealing than the absurd, undemocratic concept of a parliament with no power being dictated to by an elite, unbelted EU Commission.

Interestingly, this is the same woman who - in May 2014 - openly stated that the EU Commission manufactures evidence for any "regulation" that they wish to pass:

EU'S CHIEF SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR SAYS EUROCRATS TWIST EVIDENCE, DISTORT FACTS TO SUIT 'POLITICAL IMPERATIVE'

The EU’s chief scientific advisor has admitted that eurocrats twist the way scientific evidence is gathered in order to meet their “political imperative.”

Prof Anne Glover, appointed in 2011 to provide the European Commission with independent scientific advice, said in a speech in Brussels that political manoeuvring over evidence has reached into “countless examples” of EU policy, including on the safety of nanoparticles, the impact of biofuels on food prices and chemical substances with hormone-disrupting effects.
She said she found it difficult to disentangle the commission’s evidence-gathering processes from what she calls the “political imperative” that is behind them.
According to Euractiv, Glover used a fictitious example: “Let’s imagine a Commissioner over the weekend thinks, ‘Let’s ban the use of credit cards in the EU because credit cards lead to personal debt.’ So that commissioner will come in on Monday morning and say to his or her Director General, ‘Find me the evidence that demonstrates that this is the case.’”

interesting....
Lie down with dogs and you will wake up with fleas, eh?

This 1st link may be interesting when we in Europe write to our government representatives before they incorporate that horrible TPD into national law.

 

[CastleRat]

I do not support secret government. Ever.

 

[-Redd-]

Christ on a bike!

Un-be-lievable!

 

[DrMA]

We already knew that was the case, but for them to come right out and state it publicly is appalling. This is the ultimate insult an unelected apparatchik can make to the public that pays its salary and to which it's supposed to be of service.

And yes, I used "it" intentionally. These things do not deserve the courtesy of being treated like persons. They sure do not seem to extend us that level of respect...

 

[NymeriaSand]

Strange that they are being so honest and transparent, about their decision to be dishonest and not transparent!

Typical European Parliament, right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. I'm generally pretty pro EU, but not on this {MODERATED}

 

[Anjaffm]

Strange that they are being so honest and transparent, about their decision to be dishonest and not transparent!

Typical European Parliament, right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. I'm generally pretty pro EU, but not on this ..

Oh dear.
I suppose your opinion on the EU is likely to change some time in the future.
You have read the TPD and you know that this is what the lobbyists and their unelected puppets made of the 8 Oct 2013 decision of the (elected) European Parliament to keep e-cigs freely available as a consumer product? Made this in a "trilogue" behind closed doors, excluding even the European Parliament from their wheelings and dealings? Have you watched the vote on the TPD on live stream? Have you seen the finagling, the trickery, the last-minute permission of the desired split vote, 30 minutes before the voting? The wrong numbering of the items to be voted on? And the triumphant grin by Pharma Linda when the interests of big money won out over the interests of the people?
I am not clairvoyant - but I do predict that your favorable opinion of the EU is likely to change if you continue vaping. And wish to continue vaping in future.

 

[NymeriaSand]

No, I know, i'm no political expert. Have never really looked at the political process in the EU in detail. I've just always thought it was a 'good idea' and still do, the fact it's run poorly doesn't detract from the intention behind the idea. Guess I've never had cause to dislike the EU, plus most of the ati-eu movement in this country are generally right-wing nutters!

Ah well, my wee country is having an Independence referendum in September. Who knows if we will even be a member state after it, although it's likely we will.

 

[Anjaffm]

Oh goodness, if you take a look at the political process in the EU, it is enough to make you sick.
You do realize that a handful of unelected bureaucrats make policy for all the people in all the 28 member states, right?
And that, e.g., Germany or Scotland have no more say in deciding those policies than Kasakhstan had in deciding the policies made in Moscow?
That the people of the "sovereign" (uhhhmmm... ) member states of the EU - including yourself and me - are no more important to those bureaucrats in Brussels than the people of, say, Kasakhstan were to the bureaucrats in Moscow?

One little example on how the EU Commission works - and for whose interests: EU drops olive oil jug ban after public outcry - Telegraph

"I'm glad the commission has seen sense and backed down on these arbitrary rules. They would have interfered with businesses, imposed unnecessary costs and taken choice away from consumers. Common sense has prevailed," he said.

The ban on the use of jugs, cruets or bowls to serve olive oil was justified as necessary because of alleged "frequent" fraud in restaurants but commission officials have admitted to The Daily Telegraph that they have no evidence of the practice.

"We don't have any evidence. It is anecdotal and that was enough for the committee," said an official.

That was a failed attempt to ban something completely innocent for the sole purpose of ensuring more financial gain for some commissioner's buddies in big industry.
The electronic cigarette was not as lucky

Rolygate calls the EU a corruptocracy. And rightly so. I mostly call it the EUSSR.

...
Sorry if I sound tough and cynical with regard to the EUSSR.
Ask any vaper who was involved in fighting for our rights as human beings, our right to live a healthier life, before the passing of this horrible Tobacco Products Directive that does no harm to tobacco but that is a de-facto ban of the healthier alternative to tobacco. Ask any vaper who has seen the trickery, the finagling, ask any vaper who has been bombarded with the lies. Ask any vaper who has realized - from their own experience - how little the people count for those mercenary unelected bureaucrats whose only interest is supporting big business - over the interests of the people.
Ask any vaper who has been there. And they will echo my sentiments.

A great blogpost once said "vapers are a cynical bunch". Yeah, we know why.

edit:
This is the blogpost I mentioned. From a lady who is neither a smoker nor a vaper - but whose husband stopped smoking by switching to e-cigs. It is excellent. It is from the US, but it tells our story in Europe as well.
Reconsidering Electronic Cigarettes: A Story - August 2, 2014 Allison Taylor

 

[supertrunker]

The EU is nothing more and never has been more than a corrupt gravy train for failed national politicians to puff up their own self-importance. It has been forced upon the majority of its members by re-run referenda and a refusal to listen to the will of the people.

It has not had signed off audited accounts for close to 15 years, yet continues to demand more and more money from the member states as their own economies disintegrate into civil unrest.

Scotland will not vote for independence from the UK, because it has more in common with the English than it does with Brussels.

T

 

[Anjaffm]

The EU is nothing more and never has been more than a corrupt gravy train for failed national politicians to puff up their own self-importance. It has been forced upon the majority of its members by re-run referenda and a refusal to listen to the will of the people.

It has not had signed off audited accounts for close to 15 years, yet continues to demand more and more money from the member states as their own economies disintegrate into civil unrest.

Precisely!

As a citizen of the biggest net payer in the EU, it never ceases to amaze me how our government whines that it has no money to spend in its own country / for its own citizens. But it is more than willing to fork over billions of taxpayers Euros for any EU purposes whenever the EU demands money. Hm....

 

[NymeriaSand]

Oh goodness, if you take a look at the political process in the EU, it is enough to make you sick.
You do realize that a handful of unelected bureaucrats make policy for all the people in all the 28 member states, right?
And that, e.g., Germany or Scotland have no more say in deciding those policies than Kasakhstan had in deciding the policies made in Moscow?
That the people of the "sovereign" (uhhhmmm... ) member states of the EU - including yourself and me - are no more important to those bureaucrats in Brussels than the people of, say, Kasakhstan were to the bureaucrats in Moscow?

Haha, interesting stuff. I'm not in anyway surprised that it's corrupt and undemocratic! I'm not sure what the political system is like in Germany but the UK system is a joke! The house of lords is the biggest one, basically unelected rich boys who get to vote on passing laws just because their daddy did!

Scotland will not vote for independence from the UK, because it has more in common with the English than it does with Brussels.
T

I basically agree with everything you said apart from this, Scottish independence has nothing to do with choosing between the UK and the EU! I'd like to get rid of both personally! So I think we will let the people of Scotland decide on independence. I'd would hope as an American you might sympathise with trying to separate from the English haha

 

[Anjaffm]

Haha, interesting stuff. I'm not in anyway surprised that it's corrupt and undemocratic!

Absolutely.
And please remember / note that they went from
European Economic Community (EEC) - with emphasis on trade - via
European Community (EC) - with more political clout over the member states - to
European Union (EU) - a Soviet Union -like artificial entity with a central rule-making body of unelected bureaucrats whose rules have to be adopted by all 28 member states

- And I cannot remember anybody ever asking the people of any of the member states whether they wanted to be part of an EUSSR with the central rule-making body in Brussels instead of Moscow. Furthermore, the people never voted on whether or not to give their hard-earned money to this Central Committee in a foreign country to spend as it sees fit.

Uhm... we live in allegedly "sovereign states" and we all have an alleged "democracy". - Do we really?

I'm not sure what the political system is like in Germany but the UK system is a joke! The house of lords is the biggest one, basically unelected rich boys who get to vote on passing laws just because their daddy did!

.. with one notable exception: Matt Ridley. That guy totally gets it.

Smoking (and European regulation) kills

Medicinal regulation of vaping could kill people

E-cigarettes are making tobacco obsolete, so why ban them?

Matt Ridley is also the author of one of my favorites quotes. He asked public officials about the research on e-cigs and got, among other things, this reply:

Unfortunately, we have no evidence

of harm

 

[csardaz]

Technocracy is government by unelected so-called “experts”. As practised by the EU, technocracy is even less appealing than the absurd, undemocratic concept of a parliament with no power being dictated to by an elite, unbelted EU Commission.

Unbelted - in that context - What does that mean?

 

[AndriaD]

They would have interfered with businesses, imposed unnecessary costs and taken choice away from consumers.

Funny.. this sounds like EXACTLY what will happen from the FDA's deeming idiocy!

Andria

 

[Anjaffm]

Technocracy is government by unelected so-called “experts”. As practised by the EU, technocracy is even less appealing than the absurd, undemocratic concept of a parliament with no power being dictated to by an elite, unbelted EU Commission.

Unbelted - in that context - What does that mean?

English is not my mother tongue, and I am not familiar with this use either.
From the context, I would suppose that it may mean "unrestrained" - like in "not wearing a seat belt".

- Can native speakers of British English please help out?

 

[northhar]

English is not my mother tongue, and I am not familiar with this use either.
From the context, I would suppose that it may mean "unrestrained" - like in "not wearing a seat belt".

Yes that is a good definition in context..

 

[AndriaD]

English is not my mother tongue, and I am not familiar with this use either.
From the context, I would suppose that it may mean "unrestrained" - like in "not wearing a seat belt".

- Can native speakers of British English please help out?

I'm not british... but in reading English history, I've run across the phrase "belted Earl"... so perhaps that "beltedness" signifies "true authority"... so "unbelted" might then signify "lack of any authority"....?

Just my own take... could be completely wrong.

Andria

 

[-Redd-]

English is not my mother tongue, and I am not familiar with this use either.
From the context, I would suppose that it may mean "unrestrained" - like in "not wearing a seat belt".

- Can native speakers of British English please help out?

English is my mother tongue and it's one I've not come across in that context before.
I take it to mean unfettered or uncontrolled/unrestrained.

It's a weird one though.