As a long-time fan of the EP, I'd prefer to see most of these third pillar areas communitised into first pillar...but that isn't going to happen anytime soon.
The European Parliament only has co-decision powers (i.e. bothe the European council and the European Parliament must approve the text in the same terms) in a limited number of areas of decision.
The EU Constitution was giving a number of new co-decision powers to the European Parliament, and this is one of the main reasons why the "non" is a bad thing. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Look at this issue. How many people would have known about this if it were not for the European Tribune? Only those techies and a few who happen to wade through the back pages of newspapers. But here, here is a forum to educate people and get them to put pressure on a national level which in turn may make states in Pillar II & III areas think twice before agreeing. People contact their local members of parliament or local newspapers...these have the (granted small) possibility of affecting a member state's decision. In a sense, use this space in the way that dKos activates its members to contact congressional offices.
It may not be an easy channel to use and it may work clumsily, but it can at least be a partial way to address the democracy deficit for now.
The site has a sidebar to the European Council, which describes itself as "...the name given to the regular meetings of Heads of State and Government of EU Member States, and the President of the European Commission (sometimes also called Summit)." "Ideas or the lack of them can cause disease." - Kurt Vonnegut
