Europe
Irish Europe Minister calls for second referendum
In an interview with yesterday's Irish Independent, Irish Europe Minister Dick Roche said a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is "the appropriate response" for Ireland. He said: "My personal view is that a referendum is the appropriate response to the position we are in. This is very much a personal view at this stage. If we want to retain our position as a constructive EU member state, we cannot simply sit on our hands, as some would have us do, and keep saying that 'No' means 'No'."
He added: "We now need to take a hard look at our situation within the EU. We have to recognise, however, that all other member states -- 26 sovereign, democratic parliaments -- are likely to have ratified the treaty by the end of the year. This will leave Ireland in an isolated position. In the view of the other member states, we will be preventing the EU from equipping itself to deal with the many political and economic challenges facing today's Europe."
According to the paper Mr. Roche sought to downplay any controversy about his remarks by saying the Government would make no decision on the matter until after its detailed analysis of the referendum defeat had been completed and considered. A government spokesman said: "Mr Roche is not calling for a second referendum to be put. That would not be a fair reflection. The Government is instead following the steps it said it would take in the wake of the referendum outcome."
A leader in the Irish Times argues that Roche "has done the State and its voters a considerable public service by arguing that it may be necessary to hold another referendum on the Lisbon Treaty." In a separate article, former President of the European Parliament Pat Cox argues for a second referendum, noting "Precedent suggests that where there is a clear consensus to proceed by all but one member state that the weight of numbers will prevail with the burden of adjustment resting on those who cannot or will not ratify."
An article in Le Figaro titled "Europe: Dublin suggests a second referendum on the Constitution" mentions Open Europe's recent poll which showed that 71% of Irish voters are against a second referendum, and that if one were held, 62% would vote no, and only 34% would vote yes. The poll was also mentioned in L'Express.
Meanwhile, at a conference at the Humbert Summer School, the most senior Roman Catholic churchman in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, warned of Christian "unease" at the European project and a growing belief that EU policy was not formulated on the basis of religious values, but on purely secular terms. He said he believed this had played a role in the defeat of the Treaty.
Irish Independent Irish Independent 2 Irish Times Irish Times 2 Irish Independent-comment Le Figaro L'Express Irish Times Irish Times-Cox Irish Times-leader Irish Independent BBC
French Europe Minister: EU must combat "the manifest excesses of capitalism"
Around thirty French professors have called for a harmonisation of EU company law in Le Figaro. French Europe Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet has responded saying that the French EU Presidency will deal with their concerns. He said: "the French presidency will put particular emphasis on strengthening Europe's weight on the international financial scene in order to combat the manifest excesses of capitalism". He says: "The affirmation of European values in the face of the excesses of capitalism will also involve a re-launch of the social dynamic based on Commission proposals for a new social agenda."
Kremlin scorns threats of international isolation
Russia's parliament unanimously voted to recognise the unilaterally declared independence of Georgia's rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, significantly increasing tensions in the area. The vote, which needs to be ratified by Mr Medvedev, was a cause for "regret", the British Foreign Office said. The EU said the breakaway regions should remain in Georgia. The German government called the move "in no way appropriate to either calming or defusing tensions".
The Kremlin said yesterday it was more than happy to be locked out of international institutions, pouring scorn on Western attempts to punish Russia over its invasion of Georgia. President Medvedev said "We are ready to accept any decisions up to halting relations altogether." On the EU's proposed 'threat' to block Russian WTO membership, Prime Minister Putin said "We don't feel or see any advantages from membership, if they exist at all".
Meanwhile Georgia is pressing the EU to commit to "fully fledged peace-keeping operations". EU diplomats and senior security officials meet in Brussels today to prepare for an emergency summit of Europe's leaders, including Gordon Brown, scheduled for next Monday. Salome Samadashvili, Georgia's Ambassador to the EU, said: "So far the EU has been very fearful. We hope the meeting [on Monday] ... will end with real proposals for the EU to take a leading role in the peace process...The first thing is to get Russian troops off our soil. The second is a peace process led by the EU."
Tony Barber discusses EU strategy towards Ukraine on the FT Brussels blog. He notes that "At an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels last month, the 27-nation bloc even found itself debating whether to state the obvious and call Ukraine a European country".
John O' Sullivan argues in the Telegraph that "The EU argument that pooling sovereignty leads to greater real power proved to be a sham - it led in practice to collective impotence and self-deception."
WSJ Telegraph Telegraph FT Guardian European Voice European Voice FT Brussels blog FT IHT IHT BBC Open Europe blog
Sarkozy: EU's 280 Olympic medals "a victory for the values and people of the Union"
The EU-funded organisation the Young European Federalists have said in a open letter to athletes from the 27 EU member states that if they became Team EU they would have a higher medal tally than the US, China or Russia.
EUobserver reports that Nicolas Sarkozy has issued a statement in which he notes that the combined medal haul of the entire EU is 280. He goes on to say, "The European Union therefore takes the leading position. It's a victory for sport and for the fundamental and common values of the people of the union."
Sun EUobserver Dan Hannan's blog Telegraph
Mayor urged to act on London pollution to avoid EU fines
High levels of pollution in London have forced the government to seek an urgent meeting with Mayor Boris Johnson to avoid unlimited fines from the EU.
EU emissions rules stop production of classic Vespa
The last Vespa PX rolled off the production line this weekend. The Italian scooter was popularised in the UK Mod revival movement of the 1970s and is still a favourite for commuters today, but EU emissions restrictions have brought this to an end. The new rules require automatic gears and make the production of a two-stroke engine larger than 50cc economically unfeasible. Andy Gillard, editor of Scootering magazine said that it was the end of an era, whilst Piaggio UK general manager said that the PX "will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the best".
Monbiot: EU "seeking to engineer another brutal food grab"
Writing for the Guardian, George Monbiot has compared the EU to the Victorian colonial powers who he says stole food from the world's poor. In particular, he highlights the effect the EU's fisheries policy has on Senegal, arguing that Europe has "plundered" the fish stocks that the Senegalese depend on.
Guardian Monbiot Open Europe blog
Europe Minister to be rewarded by Brown for 'impressive' handling of Lisbon ratification
The Guardian reports that "Jim Murphy, the Minister for Europe, impressed the prime minister with his handling of the Lisbon treaty during its bumpy passage through the Commons, and is being pencilled in as the next Scottish secretary."
France wants to enforce EU role in space policy
France aims to "bring back politics into EU space policy matters", French Minister Valérie Pécresse said in a meeting in Kourou.
Yesterday's papers reported that Gordon Brown is likely to defy Labour MPs by rejecting a multi-million pound windfall tax on energy companies. Instead of a direct tax, his advisors are understood to be considering using the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to charge companies more for the pollution that they cause.
In a letter to yesterday's Times, Robert Sturdy MEP called on Gordon Brown to urge his EU counterparts to bring to an end the "farcical and costly" practice of moving MEPs between Brussels and Strasbourg every month.
Saturday's FT commented that while benefiting Europe as a whole, fewer migrants would hurt the UK economy's flexibility and create a tighter labour market during a boom.
Top investors slam EU plans to "protect" auditors
European Union plans to limit how much investors can sue auditors for will encourage accountants to take shortcuts and harm standards, a group of heavyweight investors said on Monday.
The EU will pay an extra 5 million euros to Georgia, on top of the 1 million euros already promised on 10 August.
Dan Hannan argues on his Telegraph blog that the 256 million euros the EU sends Palestine in aid is fuelling the conflict.
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