Straw starts push for EU constitution

By Rosemary Bennett

LONDON: Jack Straw will attempt this week to turn the tide of criticism of the new European Union constitution, saying that the planned treaty will protect the powers of member states.

The Foreign Secretary will use a series of speeches to say that the proposed constitution limits the powers of EU bureaucrats and gives power back to governments. The Conservatives have said that the constitution, which proposes scrapping government vetos over a range of policy areas, represents a major transfer of power to Brussels and should be put to a referendum.

Ministers have so far failed to make a strong case for the constitution. In a speech to parliamentarians tomorrow and in a Commons debate on Wednesday, Mr Straw will set out the “six anchors” of the constitution that make clear the EU is a union of states, not a separate political entity.

He will argue that the treaty will reverse the trend of power slipping away from national governments, towards Brussels, for the first time since the Union was founded. The initiative comes ahead of crucial talks on Thursday at the heads of government meetings in Greece, when the final draft of the constitution will be presented. Tony Blair wants to avoid another wave of damaging publicity at the conference. However, after the decision to put off a euro referendum, he does not want to pick a fight with European colleagues to show he is defending British interests.

Mr Straw will say that the constitution will lead to “our kind of Europe”, with the balance of power with governments. He wants the Council of Ministers to be renamed “the council of nations” to underline this point, with the new president of the council representing governments.

Whitehall officials concede that it will be hard to get across this argument while there is so much unfinished business on the constitution. The real horse trading does not begin until the autumn.

Britain will oppose plans to scrap the veto on tax and social security, and fight moves to press ahead with a common EU defence policy in any way that undermines NATO. —LT

UK rejects single EU foreign policy

LONDON: A single European foreign policy is unfeasible, Britain’s minister for the European Union said in remarks published on Monday, countering calls by some European policy makers for more centralised EU decision-making.

“The federalist vision of a single EU foreign policy, implemented by a central bureaucracy without the consent of all the governments, is neither realistic nor desirable,” the Financial Times quoted the minister, Dennis MacShane, as saying. The EU, soon to span 25 countries from the Atlantic to Russia’s borders, on Friday adopted the first draft constitution for an enlarged union. An EU foreign minister was among its proposals. While there is an argument for appointing a single person to administer EU overseas spending and boost coordination among different offices, a common foreign policy imposed from “an EU central command” would not work, MacShane said. —Reuters

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