 How does lawmaking in Europe work under the better regulation package by the European Commission? Take a look at the complicated path an initiative has to overcome to become law. The first vice president of the European Commission is the gatekeeper of any new legislation in the EU. He or his cabinet decides which idea or proposal is immediately banished without consequence or enters the long-winded path of EU legislation. This veto power for the first vice president is entirely new in the European legislative process and begs the question, who will know which proposal he has pulled off the table and why? If a proposal does move forward as a first step, a roadmap is made, which gives the first description of a commission initiative and is open for public comments and lobbying. The legislative initiative is then open for public consultation for at least eight weeks. Meanwhile, an impact assessment of the new legislation is performed. What are the costs? What are the benefits? Supposedly, the social and environmental costs and benefits will be assessed alongside the economic. Once that assessment is finished, the regulatory scrutiny board with seven full-time members among them four from the commission and three external experts literally scrutinizes the legislative initiative and the impact assessment. They have the power to reject the initiative entirely, demand a new impact assessment, or if considered fit, to send the initiative onwards in the process. But beware, even if the regulatory scrutiny board issues a negative opinion, the first vice president can override that and push the initiative through anyway. Again, the first vice president wields considerable influence over the outcome. However, an initiative doesn't become an actual proposal before it has been further assessed on its merits by the College of Commissioners. Once that hurdle has been taken, then and only then does the legislative initiative enter the true democratic realm. It becomes a legislative proposal open for amendments by the European Council and the European Parliament. This is also the second instance when lobbying comes into play. Even then, the commission can still deflect the new legislation. It can demand a new impact assessment of the amendments, essentially restarting the process. Or, if they have no issue with the result of the democratic process, allow the final text to enter into new legislation. The commission's better regulation package needs your attention because most of the decisions on new law initiatives are taken behind closed doors. And if parts of the initiative are scrapped, the public is not told why. A truly democratic system would involve and welcome relevant stakeholder input to new initiatives. Contact your local MEPs and national representatives to demand more transparency and democracy for legislation in Europe.