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You Must Read- European Constitution The truth the politicians do not want us to know.

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By babylon (Contact - View My Woyano)
Published Wed 25 Jul 2007, 383 Views, 8 Comments

The revised EU Constitution Tony Blair promised the British people a referendum on the EU Constitution, back in 2004.  Following the French and Dutch “no” votes, which should have signalled its demise, the EU has chosen to ignore the outcome of referendums and return a marginally revised treaty.  Tony Blair signed up to this amended treaty on 22nd June and stated that the minor revisions mean a referendum is now not required. The text of this revised treaty was published, in French, yesterday.  96% of the old EU Constitution is contained in it. Just 10 out of 250 proposals have been changed.  To deny the people the promised vote is a scandal. The key elements in the amended Constitution which are of concern are as follows: Cutting UK power to block EU legislation by 30%The voting system will be altered so that it is harder for member states to block legislation they are opposed to. Britain’s power to block legislation would be cut by nearly 30%. This will mean even more EU regulations will be passed, generating more red tape, e.g. it will restrict the UK’s individual opt out from the working time directive.  An EU PresidentAt the moment, the elected heads of each member state take it in turns to be EU President every 6 months.  The amended Constitution proposes a more permanent US-style President, whose control of the 3,500 civil servants in the EU’s Council Secretariat would give him/her substantial powers.   Chosen by the Council from previous heads of state of member countries, the President will not be elected by the people.  New French President Nicolas Sarkozy suggests Tony Blair should be the first EU President.  Britain tried to block the creation of this role, but was overruled.   Charter of Fundamental RightsThe Charter of Fundamental Rights becomes legally binding, creating a host of new Europe-wide rights – including the right to strike. The UK Government claims to have an opt-out. Legal experts and EU judges have said this is not an effective safeguard. An EU Foreign MinisterThe agreement states that “The Union Minister for Foreign Affairs will be called High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.”  But he has the same substantial new powers as in the original constitution.  Spanish Europe Minister Alberto Navarro told the FT, “We were prepared to find a title other than foreign minister, but we are not prepared to change the substance of his role.” The Foreign Minister would have an “automatic” right to speak on behalf of the UK at the UN on issues where “the Union has defined a position.” The UK will, through gritted teeth, also accept that the new minister will be a member of the Commission – although the UK has resisted giving the Commission a role in Foreign Policy since 1992. He will chair the meetings of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council and have the power to appoint EU “envoys”. As well as the Foreign Minister and diplomatic service the new treaty gives the EU a single legal personality allowing it to all kinds of sign treaties – making it more like a country in its own right. Romano Prodi has hailed this as “A gigantic leap forward. Europe can now play its role on the world stage thanks to its legal personality" An EU Diplomatic ServiceA single “Europeand External Action Service” would merge together national officials with the 745 civil servants in DG external relations and the 4751 members of staff in the Commission’s existing “delegations” around the world.  Estimates of the size of the service vary widely. One EU official briefed that the number of diplomats alone would be 7,000, but that it could rise to 20,000. Home affairsFor the first time judges in the European Court of Justice would have sweeping new powers over justice and home affairs issues – something the UK blocked in the Maastricht treaty and has opposed ever since.  The EU would get new powers to harmonise civil and criminal laws, and define what sentences criminals get.   The EU will gain powers to compel member states to “mutually recognise” each others legal judgements – even in new member states with poor legal systems. Europol gets new powers despite its poor record (Europol’s own offices have been raided by Belgian Police as part of a corruption probe).  The UK’s opt-in arrangement (which was actually agreed in negotiations on the EU Constitution anyway) is flawed for two reasons:

1)      An opt-in is not as good as a straightforward veto. If the UK opts in to a proposal at the initial stage, it cannot then back out. So if the proposal is changed significantly, the UK would have to go with the flow.2)      A European Court Judgement in 2005 undermines the strength of the UK’s opt-in.  At present, the EU can only propose criminal sanctions for ‘environmental crimes’.  The Constitution greatly extends this.  The UK would be unable to avoid ‘opting-in’, we would have to participate in any criminal justice measure that the Commission felt necessary to “ensure the full effectiveness of a Community policy”.  Richard Plender QC, who represented the UK in the case in question, told Open Europe, “There is no opt-in or opt-out under this judgment”. Loss of vetoesNational rights of veto are given up in over 60 areas, including immigration and foreign policy.  Controversial areas include: energy, transport, sport and space policy.  Vetoes on foreign policy will be banned on: proposals from the EU Foreign Minister; the organisation and functioning of the new EU diplomatic service; setting up an inner core in defence; majority voting within the inner core; terrorism and mutual defence and urgent humanitarian aid. A self-amending treaty for the first timeThe treaty would also include mechanisms originally set out in the Constitution, which would allow it to be re-written, without the need for further treaties.  It could then be gradually altered to give the EU more power with no real scrutiny – so this could be the last ever opportunity to call for a referendum and to keep the democratic rights we currently have..  


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babylon
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    8 Comments

  1.  
    Loves Bloc Party ~ 12 months ago
    0 votes thumbs up thumbs down
    I enjoy the differences between each European country. Be very very careful that the EU doesn't get out of control and ruin the individuality of each country.
    [ reply ]
    1.  
      japaneseboats ~ 12 months ago
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      Mmmn. Thanks for alerting me to this. I am pro-EU but find that most of the so called 'bad' news comes from the poor attitude of the UK government to our fellow Europeans generally, not just the EU itself. BTW as I am sure you know, all EU documents are published in all EU member languages not just French. And the EU comprises ALL its member states and has elected representatives from all members. How many people in the UK cared, bothered, took any notice, etc etc to vote in the European elections? How many preferred to sit at home, noses stuck in the Daily Mail, Sun, Express and other Little England proselytising sh*te?

      Nonetheless the point you raise re single legal entity needs to be investigated. I will find and study the original text. Many thanks.
      [ reply ]
      1.  
        babylon ~ 12 months ago
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        I think it is a cornerstone of the European ethos that the individual and the individual person is to be stripped of any kind of national identity. Removing ways of life or institutions is part of the process.
        I am afraid ' Loves Bloc Party ' it has already started. Where fox hunting goes , bull fighting will follow.
        [ reply ]
        1.  
          japaneseboats ~ 12 months ago
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          Forgetting subsidiarity?
          "Devolution of decision-making within the European Union from the centre to the lowest level possible. Since the signing of the Maastricht Treaty on European union 1991, which affirms that, wherever possible, decisions should be ‘taken as closely as possible to the citizens’, subsidiarity has been widely debated as a means of countering trends towards excessive centralization."

          So much misinformation - what the heck is wrong with everyone in the UK?
          [ reply ]
        2.  
          babylon ~ 12 months ago
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          Japanesebotas-- I must tell you that all EU documents are eventually printed in all EU languages. For the moment the 'constitution' has only published in French.
          Pro EU in my view is about pro -Trade , as that is what it was set up to be. I can at the same time be anti a new kind of Kremlin in the heart of the European mainland as that is what we see developoing before our eyes.
          [ reply ]
          1.  
            clemmati ~ 12 months ago
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            I can only find it online in French, but even though it's first draft, and that only just produced, surely it would be in English too? anyway, here it is (I haven't even begun reading it yet, too busy watching Heroes!)

            http://www.consilium.euro...sp?id=1317&lang=en&mode=g
            [ reply ]
            1.  
              japaneseboats ~ 12 months ago
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              I was once a rep on an EU trade committee and while having the most boring time of my life did actually learn a thing or two in Brussels...
              http://www.consilium.euro...sp?id=1314&lang=en&mode=g
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              1.  
                clemmati ~ 12 months ago
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                Goodness! thank you.
                [ reply ]
              2.  
                AdGuy
                22 votes thumbs up thumbs down
                This is my two cents...

                   
                Hey you know AdGuy always gets the last word! ;)

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