Eurotrash - The latest from Brussels
WORKERS, NOV 2007 ISSUE
Propaganda
The Independent's front page article on 18 October, "10 Myths about the reform treaty", was a word-for-word reprint of a Foreign Office briefing note, without any attribution that this was the source. The Independent has refused to comment.Meanwhile, the EU is planning to spend over £593 million of its 2008 budget on supporting "European institutions and associations active in the field of European integration". The Labour government will spend millions funding EU programmes in justice and home affairs, fundamental rights and the common foreign and security policy, despite its claim that it has opted out of these areas.
Timetable
On 18 and 19 October, the final draft of the European Union Reform Treaty was agreed at the EU Summit in Lisbon. During the European Council meeting in Brussels in December heads of government will fly to Lisbon for the formal signing and then back again – so that it can be called the Treaty of Lisbon. EU leaders hope that all members will ratify the treaty during 2008, so it is in force by January 2009. Member governments want their respective parliaments to make the decision – apart from Ireland, which a court ruled is legally bound to hold a referendum.
Polls
YouGov polls show that few British voters share their government's views. Only 6 per cent believe that the Reform Treaty is different from the EU Constitution. In one poll 69 per cent thought there should be a referendum on the revised EU Constitution, including a majority of voters for each parliamentary party. Elsewhere in Europe polls show similar results.
No choice
Brown could not risk losing a November election a few weeks after the EU agreed the Treaty, with the Tories committed to a referendum. The ruling class wants Parliament to ratify the Treaty by March 2008. The Treaty would have been ratified for 18 months by the time of a general election in 2009: by then they hope it will be a done deal.