Brussels - Everywhere, posters, campaigning constantly on TV. Next Sunday Europe should choose its parliament.
Why is that? What to bring us to the regulations and directives from Brussels and Strasbourg? Especially cucumber, okay. But that is rather silly, so this policy is also tilted back. What else? Where Europe defines our daily lives? Surprisingly, everywhere - and that makes the choice so important to us.
Do you know of Directive 2005/32/EC? Or 96/62 EC? Perhaps falling in the keyword or eco-directive on air quality of the penny? No? These characterize the still your everyday life. The former ensures that you are at the hardware store in September, the good old light bulb can not buy anymore. And the latter is responsible for ensuring that sticks to the windshield of your car a little plaque.
Both laws being behind it have been adopted by the Bundestag, but in fact the EU is the originator. Brussels and Strasbourg are responsible for whopping 84 percent of our German law. In the previous legislature were 10 279 of our laws to the account of EU politicians.
Some mean red tape and bureaucracy, simplify our lives but many. How to provide greater passenger rights, which we granted on flight and train delays reimbursement of costs. Or the limitation of the roaming charges that mobile phone calls on holidays can not be too expensive.
Or guideline for safe toys that will protect our children. Thanks to the EU shall we cosmetics companies in the advertising does not lie on the effectiveness of a cream and organic products including organic must be in it. "There is already a long-standing shift in power from national parliaments to the EU," said Dieter Wolfram, Director of Studies at the Center for European policy. Only in the areas of social protection, employment law, civil law and education, the German politicians are still largely free in their room for maneuver.
"The lobbyists have recognized this shift," says Wolfram. "Look at the number of associations in Brussels! The low awareness of the citizens of the European Parliament is in inverse proportion to its importance. "
Why do we itch Europe so little? "Because the legislation in Europe is very complicated," says Wolfram. "The characters are largely unknown, there is no discernible structure from the government and opposition, so that no clear dividing lines."
In 2004, just 43 percent of Germans to the polls this year, experts fear an even worse outcome. Europe does not matter what matters is national. Fallacy! Our future will be decided in many points this Sunday.
Also of interest
These are our EU politicians
