Blair agrees to speed up EU Super State talks
Pastor Dale Morgan
Blair agrees to speed up EU Super State talks*
By Bruno Waterfield and Harry de Quetteville in Berlin
Last Updated: 2:10am BST 26/03/2007
The European Union constitution was exhumed yesterday after Tony Blair
agreed to speed along negotiations to seal a deal on a new super state
treaty as early as this year.
After a meeting of EU leaders in Berlin, the Prime Minister told
journalists that he backed a quick timetable to negotiate a new European
treaty after French and Dutch voters rejected the constitution in 2005.
Angela Merkel embraces Tony Blair, the European Union constitution was
exhumed yesterday after Tony Blair agreed to speed along negotiations to
seal a deal on a new treaty as early as this year
German Chancellor Angela Merkel embraces Prime Minister Tony Blair
"We need more effective rules," he said. "The sooner it is resolved the
better because we need these new rules for Europe."
At celebrations to mark the EU's 50th anniversary, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel signalled that she would push for controversial
constitution proposals to scrap national vetoes over EU foreign and
policing policy.
"The EU needs more and better defined powers than it has at present: in
energy policy, in foreign policy in justice and home affairs," she said.
Graham Brady, the Tories' European spokesman, said the new timetable
"clearly shows the abject failure of the Labour government to take a
lead in Europe following the French and Dutch referendums".
"It looks certain that Angela Merkel intends to re-launch the failed
constitution," he said.
Germany, the current holders of the EU presidency, will wait until after
French presidential elections in May to set out the basis for new
European treaty negotiations.
Mr Blair is expected to agree to the timetable at his last EU summit in
Brussels on June 21, which will tie the hands of his successor.
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Senior British officials have indicated that the major issue for Britain
will be insisting on a text that is "light" enough to sidestep a risky
UK referendum on Europe.
If Ms Merkel's proposals for new EU foreign policy and justice powers
are included in a new treaty, British ministers will be unable to beat
off calls for a referendum on a new transfer of power to Brussels.
"What will count is the substance and the threshold above which a
referendum is required," said an official.
British negotiators believe that a quick deal must be on the basis of a
slimmed-down treaty that can be presented as a technical fix to EU
institutions - minor reforms, such as cutting the size of the
commission, that will not need a referendum.
The EU has set itself a 2009 deadline to resolve the constitution issue
and to come up with a new institutional blueprint.
Ms Merkel will hold talks over the next three months to try to find
enough agreement on the basics to begin treaty negotiations under
Portugal's EU presidency in the last six months of this year.
"It should not last too long and should be short and concentrated," she
said.
German diplomats said that yesterday's agreement for a quick deal would
give talks on the substance of a new treaty momentum and inevitability.
"The euro is an example of the importance of establishing timetables.
Once you have the timetable, you can really get moving," said a diplomat.
As Europe's leaders discussed the constitution, tens of thousands of
Berliners poured on to the streets to celebrate the 50th anniversary. In
scenes reminiscent of last year's World Cup street parties, they washed
down waffles with Weissbier at stalls showing off the cuisine of the 27
EU members.
But Europe's leaders eschewed the paper plates and bratwurst, feasting
instead on baby trout and a pinot noir at the Hotel de Rome. There,
French President Jacques Chirac bade farewell to international summitry
with more of a whimper than a bang, failing to enliven proceedings as he
has done so frequently before.
There was no sign of a petulant walk-out over the hegemony of the
English language, no caustic condemnation of the food on offer, and no
haughty dressing down for a British prime minister daring to question
the largesse of French farm subsidies.
Instead, he got an antique beer mug and what Ms Merkel called "a warm
round of applause".