The EU abortion debate

Joe Borg made two very revealing statements in his letter "The EU abortion debate" (August 15).

He wrote: "Ms Dalli (Helena Dalli, MP) forgot to mention that the European Parliament is a mere talking shop". This means that Malta's five or six MEPs - if the Maltese people agree to giving the PN the right to "integrate" Malta in the EU - would just be raising their voices in a "talking shop". They could just as well be talking in one of Brussels' many bars for all that matters! Isn't this what we, EU critics, have always maintained?

This statement also reveals how undemocratic the EU is. It means that the people of member states have only been given the right to elect people who have no power whatsoever to legislate, although their vote will be noted by the Council, the Commission and the European Court of Justice. Mr Borg's statement is one of the most damning accusations I have ever read about the kind of democracy - or lack of it - which exists in the EU!

Mr Borg also said that the real power resides with the Council of Ministers where the real and important decisions are made". This is true, but only up to a point, since the most important power and final say lies in the EU's European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. This court can overrule or annul decisions taken by the Council as well as by the Commission. This court can impose its decisions on all EU institutions and the courts as well as the national government of member states.

I have not mentioned the Commission or the Council since, for them, abortion should be legalised as the official view of the EU is that presented to the UN conference, namely, that abortion should be made legal in all countries represented in the UN assembly, let alone in member states and applicant countries!