EU Parliament Chief Backs End To Unanimous Decision-Making

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani on Thursday backed the proposed shift from unanimous decision-making to majority voting.

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2018) European Parliament President Antonio Tajani on Thursday backed the proposed shift from unanimous decision-making to majority voting.

"I think that we should abolish the need for unanimity in some decisions because ... a unanimous system of voting does block many things which could be positive choices," he told reporters.

Tajani said the EU parliament's role should be strengthened.

He called it the world's only legislative body that did not have the power to initiate legislation.

"That's a mistake that was made in the past which we probably should make good on at some stage. That would be one way to beef up democracy," he said.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned earlier that the union needed to simplify decision-making to stay relevant. EU's common foreign and security policy currently requires unanimity, while other decisions are made by a qualified majority vote.