The way in which parliament scrutinises European legislation has come under fire from Sir Digby Jones.

In a pamphlet published by the Foreign Policy Centre, the CBI chief says that major rules are being passed "while barely causing a ripple" among MPs and peers.

He accepts that the scrutiny committees in the Commons and Lords do a decent job, but calls for more fundamental reforms to the legislative process.

Suggestions include encouraging politicians to take a greater interest in legislation from Brussels at a much earlier stage.

MPs should be searching out information on proposed EU legislation and responding before a first draft has been written, rather than simply reacting to policy announcements once minds have already been made up, he says.

Sir Digby also urges a stronger connection between Brussels bureaucrats and domestic electorates, and calls for greater transparency by the UK scrutiny committees.

"Measures that will affect millions of people and cost millions of pounds pass through UK formalities, en route to being implemented into UK law, while barely causing a ripple," he writes.

In a preface to the pamphlet, Europe minister Denis MacShane accepts that a 'step change' is required in the way British politicians work with the EU policy-making process.

"Westminster should not be afraid to take to the road," he argues.

"Each government department could have an EU-designated minister who works the Brussels-Strasbourg circuits?

"I would go further and suggest that each department should have a European parliamentary private secretary working exclusively on European issues, linking up with business, unions and other interest groups and informing ministers directly on how the EU is affecting government policy and legislation."