Open Europe press summary: 12 May 2009

Europe

Leader of the Liberals in the EP: Klaus should sign Lisbon Treaty "in blood";
Irish Law Professor: Lisbon Treaty will take changes to Ireland's legal system to a new level regardless of any opt-out
Czech news site Aktualne.cz reports that pressure on Czech President Vaclav Klaus to sign the Lisbon Treaty is growing following the Czech Senate's vote to approve the Treaty last week. Klaus has expressed his reluctance to provide his signature, which is required to complete formal ratification in the Czech Republic, before the second referendum on the Treaty is held in Ireland.

The leader of the European Liberals in the European Parliament, Graham Watson, said, "Václav Klaus should now sign the document in blood - ahead of the EU summit in June. What we need now is certainty, not more obfuscation." Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament said, "I am convinced that Václav Klaus will sign the ratification document very soon."

Meanwhile, the Irish Times reports that Prof Dermot Walsh of the University of Limerick said that changes that have already occurred in Ireland's criminal justice system, as a result of EU membership, would be accelerated by the Lisbon Treaty. Speaking at a conference on the law of the Lisbon Treaty he said, "These changes are unprecedented in speed and scope since the demise of the Brehon law system." According to the paper, he added that any opt-out by Ireland would not change the underlying reality that the Lisbon Treaty would take changes to Ireland's legal system to a new level.

In an article looking at Ireland ahead of the European elections, the BBC's Jonny Dymond writes that, "The truth is that the government probably won't have to break sweat to 'frighten' people into voting for the [Lisbon] treaty. The crashing economy has already put the fear of God into them." He adds that, "every jump in unemployment, every step backwards the Irish economy takes, must gladden the hearts of those who would drive the treaty through. It's this strange take on democracy that makes you want to weep."
Aktualne Irish Times BBC: Dymond BBC Today programme

Gisela Stuart: Even as a Labour MP I don't know what the socialists stand for in European Parliament;
Lord Trimble: The euro has made the Irish economy "much much worse"
Open Europe organised a panel discussion yesterday, titled "Westminster or Brussels: Who rules Britain?". The discussion was based around Open Europe's recent report on the cost of EU regulation, and featured Gisela Stuart MP, Lord Trimble, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP and David Heathcoat-Amory MP.

Gisela Stuart looked at the European elections, noting that even as a Labour MP she doesn't know exactly what 'her group' in the European Parliament - the Party of European Socialists - stands for in reality. She also argued that there are few national policy areas that are unaffected by the EU, and that under the Lisbon Treaty virtually no area would be outside the scope of EU decision-making. She gave as an example the NHS and the EU proposal for NHS funded cross-border health care. She said, "I bet you my wages that in 10-15 years, if this Directive goes through, we cannot have a generally tax-funded NHS system."

Lord Trimble criticised the lack of power national parliaments have over EU legislation, arguing that the so-called 'co-decision procedure' - whereby legislation is agreed jointly by national ministers and the European Parliament - is making scrutiny of EU legislation even more difficult.

Responding to questions on the possible outcome of a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland, he said that the Irish economic situation is being made "much much worse by the euro", something which the Irish public has noted. But he said that the Irish may still vote Yes in a re-run referendum, fearing that a No vote could disqualify them from financial support from other member states. However, he argued, such fear is misplaced as it will be the International Monetary Fund, not the EU, that will be charged with bailing out Ireland should the country go bankrupt.

Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford stressed the importance of a constructive discussion on how the EU should be reformed, rather than an "in or out" debate, which she described as "not particularly meaningful". While agreeing with many of the proposals for EU reform put forth by Open Europe, she stressed the importance of also highlighting the benefits of EU regulations.

David Heathcoat-Amory highlighted the "gradual transfer of power and authority" to the EU from Westminster, which he said is taking place "without voters being asked". He argued it is only possible to understand what's happening in the regulatory field if we understand the "constitutional revolution" that is taking place, whereby the UK is losing its ability to exercise self-determination. Turning to the inadequate scrutiny of EU legislation in Westminster, David pointed out that the British Parliament only debates about 5 percent of EU legislation overseen in the Commons Scrutiny Committee. He also said it amounted to a "scandal" that the Committee met in secret.

David - who sat on the European Convention which drew up the original EU Constitution, later renamed the Lisbon Treaty - said that it was perfectly reasonable for the Irish to vote No to the Lisbon Treaty based on not understanding it, arguing that not making the Treaty comprehensible was the "failure of the political class".
Out of Control? Measuring a decade of EU regulation EU Referendum blog

Lib Dems launch manifesto for European Parliament elections
The Liberal Democrats today launched their manifesto for the European elections at the Foreign Press Association, with the slogan "Stronger together, poorer apart." Leader Nick Clegg said: "We are stronger together, and poorer apart, it's as simple as that." Asked whether the manifesto contained a commitment to hold a referendum on British membership of the EU - an idea the party has much vaunted over the past year in response to criticism that they went back on their promise to hold a referendum on the EU Treaty - Nick Clegg replied, "Yes, it's in the manifesto."

Comment: In fact the manifesto is very carefully worded and only states that the Liberal Democrats "have argued for" a referendum. It says: "Liberal Democrats have argued for a referendum on whether Britain stays in or leaves the EU. We are the only party confident enough to put the pro-European case to the British people on the big issue facing us - and let the people decide. Britain will only win the case for a flexible, democratic Europe in Brussels if we settle our arguments at home on whether we should be part of the EU or not."
Lib Dem Manifesto

EP President's message to Ireland: Only the Lisbon Treaty can safeguard religious influence on EU institutions
On his Telegraph blog Bruno Waterfield notes that European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering used an EU-sponsored event dedicated to "inter-religious" dialogue to suggest that without the Lisbon Treaty such dialogue could not be guaranteed in the future. Pöttering said: "If the Lisbon Treaty should not come into force, with new leaderships in the commission and parliament, they could abolish this dialogue because legally it is not binding." He added, "With the Treaty of Lisbon when it comes into force, and this is Ireland's responsibility, then this inter-religious dialogue is legally binding for all the EU's institutions."
Irish Times European Voice EUobserver Telegraph: Waterfield blog

EP President claims that "all MEPs have to disclose travel expenses" while no such legal obligation exists
Speaking at the "European Citizens' Consultations" in Brussels, where the European Commission and various policy groups brought together some 150 citizens to discuss recommendations for action at the EU level, EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering addressed the issue of institutional transparency. He said: "I have never taken money from anyone, and would not do so for a price below a billion Euros...the European Parliament to me is a transparent institution; all MEPs have to disclose their travel expenses".

Meanwhile Commission President José Manuel Barroso said that "One thing that strikes me very clearly is that most of you want more Europe, not less Europe...There's an understanding that Europe has to do more".

Comment: Hans-Gert Pöttering's claim is a remarkable statement, given the fact that the European Parliament has in the past been criticised by the European Ombudsman for not disclosing information on MEPs' travel expenses to a Maltese journalist. By approving the Cappato report in 2009, the EP only pledged that it "should launch an extraordinary action plan, for instance within the framework of the e-Parliament initiative, to ensure that more and easily accessible information is made available on its website on allowances and spending". However, no legal obligation for MEPs to publicly disclose their travel expenses currently exists.ECC Summit EUobserver Recommendation European Ombudsman to EP EP Cappato Report Le Monde

Sweden to push for CO2 tax on sectors outside ETS under EU Presidency
The Swedish Environment Minister, Andreas Carlgren, has said that Sweden wants to push for a tax on CO2 in sectors that do not participate in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) during their EU Presidency beginning in July, according to EurActiv. In a Swedish radio broadcast, Carlgren said "We now have a system with a cap on 40% of emissions...But the remaining 60% also need to come down and a climate tax such as a CO2 tax is absolutely one of the best ways to achieve this".
EurActiv

Shepherd: Democracy in the EU is "impossible without a demos"
In the WSJ Robin Shepherd, Director of International Affairs at the Henry Jackson Society, looks at the democratic deficit in the EU and writes "The democratic deficit, therefore, is not so much due to the lack of referendums, inadequate powers for the European Parliament or an absence of accountability generally. Rather, the problem is the presence of wide-ranging powers in a set of institutions that don't command the loyalty of the people over which they rule."

He argues that the core problem of the EU "is that democracy is impossible without a demos. There is no 'European People' for the European Commission to be accountable to. Primary political loyalties reside inside the nation state, the only place where a genuine demos exists". Shepherd puts forward proposals for reform of the EU, including restricting the competences of the European courts to enforcing only those policies that have been agreed upon by unanimity at the intergovernmental level.

He also proposes that, "As the likely low turnout in June's European elections will again show, the European Parliament is an irrelevance to most Europeans. Scrap it." He also urges opponents of an 'ever closer union' to "spell out a viable alternative".
WSJ: Shepherd

Britain paid back more than £200 million over 5 years in farm subsidies
PA reports that the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), an executive agency of DEFRA, has had "financial corrections" imposed by the European Commission, requiring it to pay back more than £200 million since 2004-05, relating to breaches of the UK's Common Agricultural Policy requirements.
No link

Ministers to have two limousine chauffeurs due to EU working rules
The front page of the Sun reports that ministers are to have a second chauffeur for their limousines. The Government Car Service said it had been forced to act because of European rules on working hours.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph's revelations on MPs' expenses has moved on to Conservative backbenchers, and includes claims by Conservative MPs to help maintain their swimming pools.
Times Telegraph Mail WSJ

Former Conservative Chairman urges voters to boycott main parties in EP elections
Former Conservative Party Chairman Lord Tebbit has urged voters not to back the major parties in next month's European elections. In an interview with the Mail, Lord Tebbit said "at the European elections, in my judgment they should send a very sharp message to the leaders of the three national parties by not voting for any of the national party candidates." However, he refused to say which of the smaller parties he believed voters should back.

The Telegraph and the Guardian report on German Chancellor Angela Merkel's comments that she would "refuse to stretch out our hand to those who oppose the Lisbon Treaty but who at the same time talk about enlargement," understood to be a reference to Conservative leader David Cameron. The Guardian reports that Merkel said that you could not oppose the Lisbon Treaty while urging more EU enlargement.
Mail Telegraph Conservative Home Guido Fawkes blog Today programme Telegraph 2 Guardian

Private Eye's Brussels Sprouts column reports that the European Commission is to present its proposals for reform to financial supervision on 27 May.
No link

German Constitutional Court refuses to consider request to keep CAP recipients secret
DPA reports that the German Constitutional Court has refused to consider a request by German farmers to stop the publication of information revealing who receives EU agricultural subsidies. Germany is the only EU country to refuse to publish the recipients of CAP money, and the European Commission has given Germany two weeks to make the data public. DPA Europa Transparant blog

The Irish Times reports that Prof Maria Joao Rodrigues, who has acted as an adviser to the European Commission and to EU Presidencies, has said that Ireland's use of competitive tax policies is in conflict with the concept of European solidarity.
Irish Times

New website launched to monitor MEPs on attendance and voting
The FT reports that the votewatch.eu website was officially launched in Brussels yesterday. Votewatch allows readers to monitor MEPs and political groups on issues including attendance, speeches, parliamentary questions and voting patterns. EUobserver reports that the data - based on attendance lists and roll-call votes - show that the Greens have the highest attendance (87.39 percent) and the Independence/Democracy Group the lowest (82.46 percent).
The Parliament EUobserver FT: Brussels blog Coulisses de Bruxelles

Jamie Smyth in the Irish Times argues that "the great fear in Brussels is that Klaus will become the main powerbroker during the last six weeks of the [Czech] presidency."
Irish Times: Smyth

The FT reports that the Polish Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski has said that Poland may postpone its plans to adopt the Euro in 2012 by at least a year because of its budget deficit, saying "The first of January 2012 is still realistic, but it may require some delay... If we move it by one year that's not the end of the world".
FT

ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said yesterday that he thought that the global downturn had bottomed out, with some large economies already able to put the recession behind them and look forward to renewed growth.
FT

El País reports that the EU has announced that it will carry out a stress test on the banking system from September onwards.
El País Guardian

On his FT blog, Tony Barber looks at diplomatic incidents from the Czech Presidency and argues that the separate EU missions to Gaza in January "began to look more like an early 20th century central European squabble between Czechs and Austrians than a serious contribution to crafting a Middle East peace deal".
FT: Brussels blog

According to Private Eye's Brussels Sprouts column, the European Council is refusing to discuss its accounts with MEPs. It is not bound by any EU law to disclose details of its €594 million budget.
No link

In an interview with Le Monde regarding the economic crisis, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde says "our economy is less dependent on the financial sector than some of our neighbours. France is less affected than Germany by the risk of deflation."
Le Monde


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