Plan D? How about Plan C!
On her blog, EU Commissioner Margot Wallström writes: “One thing is clear: if there is one issue representing a total communication failure it is the “services directive“! Looking back: the consultation process was inadequate since there is still room for so many different interpretations of the content. The timing was crucial: it was adopted by the previous Commission just before it left office and it was left ‘out in the air’ for everybody to criticise and nobody to explain and advocate the proposed reform. Today there is a total confusion in the debate about different concepts like ‘country of origin’ or ‘posting of workers’. We in the Barroso commission have a difficult task with this particular directive…”
I just have to say: I think that the idea of a Plan D (for Democracy) sounds nice, but a Plan C (for Communication) might be more needed. Or maybe a Plan A (for “Answer the freakin’ question!):
In autumn 2004, I (in the position of the chairperson of ESIB, representing 10 million students) asked the Commssion (DG EAC) a direct question:
How will the ’services directive’ or ‘Bolkestein directive’ affect higher education, and what steps will the Commission undertake that any such effect will not be negative?
I/we are still waiting for an answer…