Just when one thought that the EU question was once again ‘lost in
the long grass’ up comes something to interest us all.
This iniative is to be welcomed and Global Vision is a think tank of
the utmost integrity. It is great that the Telegraph has given it
pride of place in its ‘leader’ column.
Of course the fact that the Telegraph is sponsoring it, may mean
that the rest of the media may ignore it, but you can’t have everything!
As for Valery Giscard d’Estaing’s idea , I can only quote Virgil
(Aeneid Book 6) “Timeo Danaos et Dona ferentes”. (re the Wooden
Horse sitting there invitingly outside the gates of Troy - “I fear
the Greeks, especially when bearing gifts”). The devil, as always
with the French, would be in the small print. Precisely what
structure would he be suggesting - eg:- relationship to the European
court? - status of the acquis communautaire? etc
Meanwhile continued silence from Cameron forgetting that his
“guarantee’ was supposed to be “cast iron”
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TELEGRAPH 8.9.08
1. (Leader)
The best way for Britain to belong to Europe
Europe has all but disappeared as a political issue. None of the
political parties wants to talk about it - Labour and the Lib Dems
because they know that they are at odds with public opinion, the
Conservatives because they are terrified of reviving memories of the
1990s. Most voters, if pushed, are vaguely under the impression that
the whole thing has gone away. Didn't the French and Dutch
electorates kill the European Constitution? And didn't the Irish
drive a stake though its heart when it tried to clamber out of its
coffin in the ghoulish shape of the Lisbon Treaty?
No. The European Constitution remains very much on the agenda, and an
incoming government will have no choice but to face it. Since the
Irish "No" vote on June 12, ratification has continued elsewhere.
Nicolas Sarkozy, who currently holds the EU presidency, makes no
secret of his view that the Irish will have to vote again, this time
to come up with the "right" answer.
If his plan is dropped - if, that is, the Irish government runs the
numbers and concludes that it can't win a second plebiscite - then
the treaty will simply be enacted through parliamentary ratification,
executive fiat and judicial activism. Lisbon, in other words, may not
be formally ratified; just implemented.
This is the last way many Tories want to begin their administration.
They would rather concentrate on the economy and welfare reform, and
relegate the EU to a putative second term. But they are unlikely to
have that luxury.
Twelve months ago, on the eve of the formalisation of the Lisbon
Treaty, David Cameron promised: "Today, I will give this cast-iron
guarantee: if I become PM, a Conservative government will hold a
referendum on any EU treaty that emerges from these negotiations."
Since then, he has watered down that commitment, saying that it will
apply only if the treaty has not been ratified by all 27 states. But
given the state of public opinion in Ireland, this is a perfectly
plausible scenario. In short, we cannot avoid the question of what
would happen if all the other countries except Britain - or perhaps
Britain and Ireland - wanted to adopt the constitution.
To address that question, The Daily Telegraph is today hosting a
conference in association with the think tank Global Vision. We are
sketching out how Britain might relate to the rest of the EU as an
associate member, within the single market but outside other
political structures. Such a dispensation will be supported by, among
others, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the constitution's author, who
favours giving Britain a "special status". A generation ago, the
British people voted, as they thought, to join a common market, not a
common polity. There is no dishonour in giving people what they voted
for.
===================
2. Britain 'should be able to opt out of EU deals'
Britain should be able to have "special status" within the European
Union that would allow it to effectively opt out of agreements such
as the Lisbon Treaty, the author of the European Union Constitution
will say today.
By Andrew Porter Political Editor
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the former French President who was the key
architect of the constitution, will tell a special conference in
London that members states have to accept that not everyone believes
European integration should continue. The furore over the Lisbon
Treaty - effectively a revived version of the Constitution - has once
again led to a debate about how many powers Britain cede to Brussels.
Mr d'Estaing will tell the conference organised by the Daily
Telegraph and campaign group Global Vision: "Integration is vital for
Europe: it is a question of scale that will become vital in the world
of tomorrow. The European Union has already come too far with the
project of closer integration to stop now.
"However, we have to accept that not all countries share the same
vision, or are comfortable proceeding at the same speed. If countries
such as Britain do not want to move to the next stage we should be
prepared to agree with them on a special status that would preserve
close ties, but avoid them acting as a brake on the progress of others."
The event, which takes place at the Houses of Parliament, will look
at what options Britain and Europe has in the wake of the Lisbon
Treaty. The treaty was rejected by Irish voters earlier this year,
throwing its ratification process into doubt.
Lord Blackwell, the Chairman of Global Vision, will argue that
Britain needs to look again at loosening its ties with the EU.
He will say: "The time has come for Britain say clearly that it does
not want to continue down the road of further political and economic
integration in Europe. A regional European block is an outdated
concept in the globalised world of the 21st Century, and is tying us
into inward looking, uncompetitive protectionism and regulation.
"We should take this opportunity to negotiate a new, looser
relationship with the EU that preserves the benefits of free trade
and cooperation but allows us to opt out of the project of political
and economic integration that others seem committed to follow."
Other speakers will include Lord Trimble, former first Minister of
Northern Ireland; Lord Howell, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the
House of Lords; Ruth Lea of Global Vision; and Iain Martin, Head of
Comment at The Daily Telegraph.
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