Germany has proposed to EU states that they should agree to drop the idea of a constitution when they meet at a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. The “constitutional concept… is abandoned”, says a paper circulated by Germany, which will chair the summit.
Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said a veto remained “highly likely” while UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said no deal was better than a bad deal.
Gordon Brown dramatically raised the stakes on Europe last night by threatening to let the British people have a referendum on the results of this week’s critical summit. In a clear warning to Tony Blair he offered to put the next European treaty to a popular vote if it fails to take account of Britain’s objections.
Eurosceptics have been branded “terrorists” just days before Tony Blair prepares to fly to Brussels to smuggle in the new EU constitution by the back door.Critics of the EU’s secret plans to bring back the failed European constitution by stealth at this week’s summit were blasted by the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano.
Tony Blair was accused of a European constitution “sell-out” today after the Government pooled more police co-operation to help fight cross-border crime and terrorism. A two-year-old agreement between just seven EU countries now becomes part of EU law, involving all 27 nations including the UK.
Europe’s data protection chief has warned Portuguese ministers that fundamental rights to freedom are being abused in the name of security. Portugal takes over the rotating EU Presidency on 1st July.The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has told the Portuguese ministers for justice and the interior that anti-terror laws proposed in Europe have shown a lack of understanding of human rights law and says that anti-terror laws could be written which would safeguard privacy rights.
