EU's New Rome Treaty 'cut and pasted' from old*

By George Jones and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Last Updated: 2:03am BST 01/08/2007

The official English text of the new EU'S New Rome Treaty shows that it
is a "cut and paste job" from the former European constitution, it was
claimed last night.

The official English translation - published while MPs are away on a
10-week summer break - is 277 pages long. The reference to a
constitution is out. Also cut is "symbolic" legal status for the EU's
12-star flag, an official motto and the EU's anthem.

Other changes to substance are minor.

The title of the EU's "foreign minister" is changed to High
Representative. Provisions drawn word for word from the old constitution
will give him speaking rights from British and French seats at the UN
Security Council. Unlike Europe's current foreign policy representative,
Javier Solana, the new minister will also be vice-president of the
European Commission, weakening direct control over the post by national
governments.

Also lifted almost word for word from the 2004 constitutional treaty is
a new "ratchet clause" making it far easier for the EU to scrap national
vetoes and sidestep referendums.

William Hague, the Conservative foreign affairs spokesman, said: "We can
see clearly what a cut-and-paste job this is from the old EU
constitution. Virtually everything that was in the old EU constitution
is in this treaty."