Juncker will of Jut no head more

strasbourg - Jean-Claude Juncker has had enough knots to be cut through as the EU countries on contentious issues such as food safety does not come themselves. The President of the European Commission wants Member States to assume their responsibilities and not hide behind 'Brussels'.

Things like determining the annual fishing quotas or approval for the cultivation of genetically modified crops in the EU are determined by national experts in committees decided in Brussels. But they prefer to let it fail as politically sensitive issues on the agenda. They vote or do not. If there is no majority can be formed, the European Commission must take the final decision.

Juncker wants to get rid of that procedure and secret ballots. He presented in Strasbourg on Tuesday a plan to make it more transparent decision-making and abstentions difficult. Juncker also wants to involve national ministers earlier in the decision-making process as their representatives fail to reach lower level.