← home page • Buzz@Bruss! Edition #1 • Challenges with the Brussels Approach to Public Consultations
Public consultations are a key aspect of democratic governance, essential for crafting transparent, efficient and effective regulations. They’re supposed to be ongoing conversations that help draft better laws. The OECD emphasizes that these processes bring in expertise and perspectives from those directly impacted, balance various interests, identify unintended consequences and provide a quality check. They’re also crucial for public participation, ensuring that EU policymaking is based on solid evidence, laws are simplified, and all stakeholders are involved, which in turn fosters trust in both the process and the outcomes.
However, Tobacco Europe, our industry association, has raised some concerns about how the European Commission has been handling the recent public consultation process. They’ve sent a letter to the Commission pointing out these issues, arguing that the current approach is hindering accountability and transparency. This letter is available here and provides insight into why our industry feels the process is flawed.
At JTI, we’re strong believers in the power of open, transparent and inclusive conversations when it comes to public policymaking. It’s crucial that every stakeholder’s voice is heard and considered to ensure that policies are based on facts and solid evidence. We’re pushing for more transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness so that no single perspective dominates the decision-making process on public policies.
Some groups urge governments to ignore certain viewpoints or exclude certain actors from key public discussions – we think this approach is a mistake. Exclusion only breeds distrust among the public and fuels conspiracy theories. It’s important to understand that everyone has their own interests at stake. Blaming or shaming specific ideas or interests doesn’t help anyone.
Instead, we need to recognize that every voice matters. Regularly sharing and discussing all opinions in a transparent, rule-based way is the best path to finding solutions that serve the common public interest. By doing this, we can build trust in government and ensure that policies truly reflect the needs and perspectives of everyone involved.
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