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*Le Chou is intended for purely satirical and entertainment purposes and does not reflect the views of The Brussels Times*
Members of the European Parliament threw a spanner in their own legislative machinery today by rejecting a proposal meant to make life easier and simpler. Instead it complicates everything and is sure to induce migraines across the board.
MEPs were asked to vote on a new ‘omnibus’ simplification law today but instead of slashing red tape they decided to wrap the whole process in another layer of crimson bureaucratic obstacles.
It leaves the future of corporate sustainability reporting in complete disarray and led one lobbyist in Strasbourg to call the politicians assembled there for the plenary session “a gaggle of halfwits”.
Today's red tape snafu is reminiscent of how the European Commission has in the past urged the European Council to ditch the need for unanimous voting. That change would of course require a unanimous vote.
Lawmakers in Strasbourg weren't done there though. They were also set to debate a new anti-leaks strategy but that was called off after the plan was leaked to the media. A separate vote on digitalisation was cancelled after the Parliament’s printer ran out of ink and there weren’t enough ballot papers.
Two committee meetings on artificial intelligence regulation also had to be postponed after a parliamentary staffer’s chatbot uploaded the wrong scheduling information, leading most lawmakers to turn up in Luxembourg instead of Strasbourg.
Le Chou has also been informed that the Parliament canteen is still serving vegan sausages and labelling them as such, even after MEPs voted to strip non-meat meals of their right to self-identify as burgers and sausages.
In another case of euro-hypocrisy, one leading lawmaker was seen climbing into a helicopter at Strasbourg airport after voting to impose new taxes on e-bike owners.
*Le Chou is intended for purely satirical and entertainment purposes and does not reflect the views of The Brussels Times*
