The EU has traditionally been an organisation subordinate to individual member states. After last week’s European Council ‘mandate’, however, it seems this relationship may have shifted in the EU’s favour. Defence is a case in point. It is proposed that national decisions on the “progressive framing of a common defence policy” be replaced by decisions taken by “the European Council and the Council”. In effect, national parliaments will play second fiddle to the EU’s defence policy. That’s a potentially serious shift in sovereignty. Given Britain’s commitment to the EU’s Rapid Reaction Force, such a shift towards EU sovereignty may affect UK forces more than any other in the EU. This will also have consequences for NATO and the US (muddied further by the UK signing up to a ‘Defence Trade Cooperation Treaty’ just before Mr Blair left for Brussels!). There’s an even bigger potential shift in sovereignty, however, that’s gone in under the popular radar. Last week’s negotiations set a ‘mandate’ for a later Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) in July. This IGC seems to leave Gordon Brown very little space for negotiation. This is because Paragraph 11 of the presidency conclusions to last week’s meetings actually set the terms for the July IGC. In effect, Brown won’t be able to alter the agenda set by the European Council and agreed by Blair last week. So what? Well, this implies the EU is looking to dictate what national governments agree (and disagree to) in the next EU treaty. In effect, the momentum won’t come from national governments answerable to national parliaments and electorates. It will instead come from the European Council.

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	23/06/07 18:27:00	David Giles
Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	23/06/07 18:42:00	Jerry Makides
Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	23/06/07 18:46:00	Jan Jarvis
Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	23/06/07 18:49:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	23/06/07 19:06:00	Helen Fogarth
Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	23/06/07 19:10:00	Jan Jarvis
Re:Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	23/06/07 19:17:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	23/06/07 22:02:00	Jan Jarvis
media manipulation	23/06/07 22:18:00	Jerry Makides
Re:media manipulation	25/06/07 11:18:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Referendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	25/06/07 12:23:00	David Giles
Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	24/06/07 09:24:00	Peter G Boardman
Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	24/06/07 10:21:00	Peter John
Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	24/06/07 22:03:00	Richard Greenhough
Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	25/06/07 12:36:00	Will Watson
Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	25/06/07 13:46:00	Richard Greenhough
Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	25/06/07 13:54:00	Helen Fogarth
After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ?	25/06/07 14:28:00	David Giles
Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ?	25/06/07 14:49:00	Jonathan Bingham
Re:Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ?	25/06/07 17:09:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ?	25/06/07 17:24:00	Will Watson
Re:A form of democracy	25/06/07 17:44:00	Richard Greenhough
Re:Re:A form of democracy	25/06/07 17:56:00	Will Watson
Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ?	25/06/07 17:50:00	John Mc Cann
Re:Re:After Iraq, can we trust Blair anymore ?	25/06/07 17:53:00	Richard Greenhough
Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	25/06/07 14:31:00	Will Watson
Re:Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	25/06/07 14:37:00	Fraser Pearce
A shift in sovereignty	25/06/07 14:54:00	Fraser Pearce
“The proposals that we dare not present to them directly”	25/06/07 15:11:00	Fraser Pearce
“Psychological terrorists” and the “new form of democracy”	25/06/07 15:29:00	Fraser Pearce
Britain has not had a Referendum on Europe since 6th June 1975	25/06/07 18:12:00	David Giles
Re:Britain has not had a Referendum on Europe since 6th June 1975	25/06/07 19:53:00	Guy Lambert
Same old conservatives	26/06/07 09:15:00	Stephen Thornton
It's not about the Conservatives	26/06/07 11:27:00	Fraser Pearce
Re:Same old conservatives	26/06/07 13:19:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Same old conservatives	26/06/07 14:00:00	Stephen Thornton
Re:Re:Re:Same old conservatives	26/06/07 16:53:00	David Giles
Re:What we voted on in 1975	26/06/07 14:19:00	Richard Greenhough
The devil's in the detail	26/06/07 16:40:00	Fraser Pearce
It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	26/06/07 20:38:00	David Giles
Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	26/06/07 21:56:00	John Mc Cann
Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	26/06/07 22:20:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	26/06/07 23:01:00	Jerry Makides
Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 08:57:00	Guy Lambert
Responding to Jerry: “The end of democracy”	27/06/07 12:17:00	Fraser Pearce
Responding to Jerry: “totalitarianism”	27/06/07 12:27:00	Fraser Pearce
Responding to Jerry: “Loss of freedom”	27/06/07 12:36:00	Fraser Pearce
Responding to Jerry: The EU, prosperity and peace in Europe	27/06/07 12:54:00	Fraser Pearce
Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 12:59:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 13:17:00	Fraser Pearce
Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 15:55:00	Guy Lambert
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 18:02:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 18:53:00	Fraser Pearce
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 21:39:00	Guy Lambert
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 21:47:00	John Mc Cann
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 21:52:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 22:03:00	John Mc Cann
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It maybe called a Treaty but its the same Constitution	27/06/07 22:54:00	Guy Lambert
Legal opinion wanted	27/06/07 23:16:00	Peter John
Re:Legal opinion wanted	27/06/07 23:40:00	John Mc Cann
Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted	28/06/07 09:57:00	Fraser Pearce
Re:Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted	28/06/07 10:52:00	Fraser Pearce
Re:Re:Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted	28/06/07 12:36:00	Colin Jordan
The threat to the British Constitution and Parliament	28/06/07 17:46:00	David Giles
Re:The threat to the British Constitution and Parliament	28/06/07 22:33:00	Guy Lambert
Re:Re:The threat to the British Constitution and Parliament	29/06/07 00:05:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted	29/06/07 11:08:00	David Giles
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Legal opinion wanted	29/06/07 12:22:00	Fraser Pearce
A Good Week to Bury Really Bad News	29/06/07 17:59:00	David Giles
Labour Party calls for Referendum	30/06/07 17:22:00	David Giles
Trade Union calls for Referendum	11/07/07 20:24:00	David Giles
Re:Trade Union calls for Referendum	16/10/07 22:02:00	David Giles
Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	04/07/07 19:35:00	Peter G Boardman
Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	04/07/07 20:36:00	Helen Fogarth
Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	04/07/07 22:25:00	Will Watson
Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	05/07/07 08:25:00	Peter John
Re:Re:Re:Ireland to hold Refendum on new EU Treaty - should the UK ?	05/07/07 18:46:00	David Giles
EU to pay Wine Producers to give up producing bad wine	06/07/07 18:14:00	David Giles
For Guy: France, Germany and the stability pact	12/07/07 11:19:00	Fraser Pearce
Re:For Guy: France, Germany and the stability pact	12/07/07 12:22:00	Guy Lambert
Britain's Seat on the UN Security Council	05/08/07 20:07:00	David Giles
Re:Britain's Seat on the UN Security Council	05/08/07 20:29:00	Colin Jordan
Re:Re:For Guy: France, Germany and the stability pact	06/08/07 15:12:00	David Giles
Can we trust Gordon Brown on this issue ?	15/10/07 18:36:00	David Giles
Referendum	17/10/07 09:22:00	Brendan McCarthy

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