First details of the Berlin Declaration leak- Prodi: no votes were just an “interruption”
20 March 2007
EUobserver reports that the Berlin Declaration will be split into five parts. The first will praise the “success stories” of EU integration. Peace, prosperity – attributed to the internal market and the single currency - and stability will be hailed as "central achievements of European unification." The second chapter looks at the features of European unification and the third chapter focuses on “values on which European unification builds”. The fourth chapter will highlight priorities such as energy security and climate change – as well as “strengthening the EU as a global player". It will also stress that increasing competitiveness should be carried out "hand in hand with social responsibility." The final chapter on “shared commitment” was supposed to mention the EU Constitution but will now only stress that the EU should resolve its institutional problems by the 2009 European elections. It is also being suggested that instead of getting the head of each member state to sign the document, just Angela Merkel – as EU President, Jose Barroso and EP President Hans-Gert Pottering will sign.
AFP reports that Romano Prodi has said, “I want to hail the great efforts by
EUobserver AFP AFP2
Beckett promises Government will “rise above” demands for a referendum
Sunday’s Politics Show interviewed Margaret Beckett about the forthcoming EU treaty. Beckett said that she hoped the new text would not trigger a referendum. “We would certainly hope that it would be possible to get, if we can get agreement and common ground, that that could be in an area where it wouldn’t need to trigger a referendum here.” She added that “I’ve no doubt, by the way, that no matter what it says, if there’s any agreement at all, there will be people who will call for a referendum anyway, but since they’re all people who never had a referendum when they had the opportunity, I think we can rise above that.”
Put to her that if the new treaty contained more majority voting, an EU President and EU Foreign Minister, it would be the “Constitution in all but name”, she said, “not necessarily”. Beckett argued that, “Many of the things that were in the original constitutional treaty, were just rolled in because it turned into one of those grand projects. There was no need for them to be in a treaty that was about a Constitution.” She predicted that the German Presidency would face an “uphill task” in getting agreement by June.
Also interviewed on the programme, Jose Barosso said that “
FT poll – Commission blames “nostalgia and insecurity” for negative verdict on EU
The Telegraph reports that the EU Commission has rejected the results of a new FT-Harris poll, released yesterday, which suggested that lives for 52% of Britons have got worse since the
Telegraph Daily Mail El Mundo Sun Sun-leader
EU gears up for 50th birthday “celebrations”
The Times looks at the different ways EU countries will celebrate the EU’s 50th anniversary this weekend.
A leader in the Times argues, “At 50, the European Union is overweight and badly dressed. The lady will not get over the midlife crisis she has been going through since 2005, when French and Dutch voters rejected the proposed EU Constitution, unless the
EU’s fight against climate change an alluring idea that is likely to fall short
In the FT,
Farmer’s £500,000 cattle herd destroyed after breach of EU rules
The Daily Mail reports that a British farmer has had his cattle herd – worth £500,000 – slaughtered after they were seized by the Government, who claimed he had breached EU rules on identification. Officials claimed to have found irregularities between the EU “passports” – which allow cattle to move around
German ambassador: 2007 will be a “European moment”
In the Guardian German Ambassador to the UK Wolfgang Ischinger claims that 2007 will be a “European moment” as
According to
Architects unveil plan to demolish “hideous” European Parliament building
Le Monde reports that 16 architects from eight different countries who, since 2004, have been in charge of coming up with an urban plan for Brussels have today opened an exhibition called “Vision for Brussels” in which they propose the demolition of the European Parliament. They believe the “hideous” building can never become a symbol of the European idea, and should therefore be demolished and its occupants transferred to another part of town. According to Le Monde the idea originally came from Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and former EU Commission President Romano Prodi, who thought that in order to give a body and an image to the European political project,
Sarkozy demands “radical” policy shift on the euro and devaluation
According to the Telegraph, Nicolas Sarkozy has launched another “ferocious” attack on the European Central Bank’s monetary policy. The French presidential candidate told French radio, "For purely ideological reasons, we are denying ourselves an instrument to create growth and provide jobs. Well, the euro doesn't belong to Mr Trichet, and I'm not the only one in
The Guardian reports that the Polish government is to ban discussions on homosexuality in schools and educational institutions across the country, with teachers facing the sack, fines or imprisonment.
In the Sun Jon Gaunt backs the Speak Out campaign’s call for a referendum on the EU.
No link
Peter Mandelson is facing anger from Irish beef producers over suspicions that he may grant US producers increased access to the European beef market.
EU and US to harmonise regulations in 40 industrial sectors
The EU and the
French Constitutional Council names presidential candidates
12 people have officially been named as candidates in the French presidential election, including anti-globalisation activist José Bové. The Socialist Party is said to be worried about the number of left-wing candidates; Ségolène Royal will have six candidates to her left, only one less than Lionel Jospin faced in 2002 when he failed to make it to the second round.
Le Figaro reports that the price of agricultural land in
No link
The FT reports that
World
NATO Chief: missile shield will not affect Russian deterrent
According to the Telegraph, Nato's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer yesterday dismissed as "false arguments" statements from
Former cabinet secretary attacks “Stalinist ruthlessness” of Gordon Brown
In an interview with the FT, Lord Turnbull, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury for four years under Gordon Brown before becoming cabinet secretary in 2002, accused the Chancellor of a “very cynical view of mankind and his colleagues”. Turnball claims that Brown has exhibited a “Stalinist ruthlessness” in government, belittling his cabinet colleagues whom the Treasury treats with “more or less complete contempt.”
Conservatives gain 15% lead if Brown takes over
An ICM poll for the Guardian puts the Conservatives on 41%, Labour on 31% and the Liberal Democrats down one at 18%. When voters were asked which party they would support in a contest between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Menzies Campbell, Conservative support rises by two points to 43% while Labour's drops by three to 28%. The Lib Dems are unchanged on 18%.