Eurofielen U.K. gooien handdoek in ring

[Henk Elegeert]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Dr. Marc-Alexander Fluks wrote:

> REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl
>
> Vandaag in The Times: 'Europhile crusade finally comes to the end of its road'.
> Het Britse 'Britain in Europe' (BiE), dat jaren vecht voor toetreding van de
> U.K. tot de Euro en andere Euro-rituelen, gooit de handdoek in de ring.
>
> Zie:
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1646721,00.html
> http://www.britainineurope.org.uk/pressroom/releases/britain-in-europe-statement-on-eu-bill-postponement


http://news.ft.com/cms/s/dfec6246-c6d4-11d9-a700-00000e2511c8.

"
Peter Norman: The EU’s ‘accidental’ constitution
By Peter Norman

Peter Norman, the FT’s former Brussels bureau chief, has
followed the creation of the EU’s constitutional treaty from
the beginning to the present day and explains the present
situation in his article below.Please address your questions
to him at ask at ft.com. His book, ‘The Accidental
Constitution’, published in May 2005 in its second edition,
explains the creation and content of the complex treaty that
must now be ratified by all the Union’s 25 member states. TO
ORDER GO THERE

Like it or loath it, the European Union’s constitutional
treaty is about to hog the headlines again.

The project, which was launched by EU leaders in December
2001 with the laudable aim of making the Union “more
democratic, more transparent and more efficient” faces a
potentially life threatening test on May 29.

That is when the French people will give their verdict on
the constitutional treaty in a referendum that will have
profound repercussions whether they opt for a “oui” or a
“non”. A referendum in the Netherlands takes place three
days later on June 1. Having been kept out of Britain’s
general election campaign, the European Union and the
constitutional treaty will return to be big issues in
British politics, whichever way the French and Dutch vote,
but especially if they approve it.

A French “yes”, after months in which opponents of the
constitution had the upper hand, would give the project new
momentum and put pressure on Tony Blair, the prime minister,
to face up to the challenges of the referendum he has
promised the British people next year. A French “no” would
throw the EU into crisis and could trigger rejection in the
Netherlands. Mr Blair, who takes over the six month rotating
presidency of the EU from July 1, would inherit the job of
sorting out the mess.

All 25 EU member states have to ratify the constitutional
treaty for it to take effect, so the general expectation is
that a French “no” would kill the project.

But there are reasons for supposing that the issue will not
fade away so easily. A “no” vote would top the agenda at the
next meeting of the European Council, the summit body of EU
leaders, when it next convenes in Luxembourg in mid-June.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the Luxembourg prime minister who will
chair that meeting as present holder of the EU presidency,
is thought to favour pressing on with ratification in other
countries so that the EU’s 25 member states can regroup and
consider the options after November 1 2006 when the
constitutional treaty is due to take effect.
.....

So what is all the fuss about?

There is no doubt that many people simply dislike the idea
of the EU having a constitution with its connotations of
government, bureaucracy and centralised power. But a lot of
the controversy surrounding the EU’s constitutional treaty
is rooted in a misconception. Its full title “A treaty
establishing a Constitution for Europe” creates the wrong
expectations. Citizens expect a pithy, literate document
rather like the US constitution.

Instead, the EU’s constitutional treaty is lengthy,
containing some 448 articles. Although the first 60 articles
have the “feel” of a constitution in that they set out the
values, objectives and the “who does what and how” of the
European Union and its institutions, they in no way imply
the EU is a structure with independent sovereignty.

Instead the EU is a unique hybrid that draws its legitimacy
from the peoples and states of Europe. The member states
“confer” specific powers upon the EU by means of treaties
agreed unanimously among themselves. The constitutional
treaty is just the latest – albeit the most comprehensive -
of these treaties in the EU’s history.
  	

Brussels briefing

For all the latest news and views on the European Union
Go there

Second. It is a dense document. This is because it pulls
together the many treaties and the amendments to treaties
which have built up the powers and responsibilities of the
EU since the creation of its forerunner, the European
Economic Community, through the treaty of Rome of 1957.

Unlike the EU’s existing treaties, the constitution is
coherent: it has a beginning, middle and end. That is the
good news. But because it deals with a lot of complex,
detailed issues, it is not an easy read. The various
protocols and declarations attached to the main text mean it
spreads over several hundred pages. That is the bad news.
...
"


http://www.eubookshop.com/1/29

"
The Making of Europe’s Constitutional Treaty

The making of Europe’s constitutional treaty sheds light on
the complex political and constitutional issues that the
EU’s leaders set out to solve and explains why the
subsequent negotiations among the member states came close
to disaster before ending in agreement.

Knowing how the European Union’s constitution came about is
crucial to understanding a text that could have a profound
effect on the lives of 500 million European citizens for
decades to come. This book, written by a former bureau chief
of the Financial Times in Brussels, draws on a wealth of
documentary evidence, the insights gained from talking to
key participants in the creation of the EU’s constitutional
treaty and the author’s expert knowledge of EU affairs.

Aimed at the lay reader as well as the specialist, the book
is essential reading for all who want to understand the
European Union of today. It is a tale of people and
politics. It is also a tale of the unexpected. That is why
the book is called ‘The Accidental Constitution’.
"

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