Thu Sep 6 06:15:22 200717

Fetching...
 
YOU ARE HERE: Homepage > Newsdesk > Article
UK rejects EU treaty vote, Portugal won't reopen deal
09 Jul 2007 11:56:06 GMT
Source: Reuters
LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday he saw no need for a referendum on a new European Union treaty while EU president Portugal ruled out reopening a delicate compromise on its contents.

Britain will insist that "every single detail" of the conditions it demanded in an outline deal reached in Brussels last month is included in the final treaty, Brown said.

"The work of the next few months (is) to ensure that what were 'red lines' for Britain are in detail part of the treaty," Brown said after talks with Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, his first meeting with a foreign leader since taking over from Tony Blair on June 27.

"If that were the case then I would see no reason to recommend to the British people that there should be a referendum," Brown said in his clearest statement yet on his position on a referendum.

The new treaty is aimed at making the EU work more smoothly now it has expanded to 27 members.

Britain's opposition Conservatives say former prime minister Blair promised a referendum on a proposed EU constitution and accuse the government of breaking its promise by now opposing a referendum on the treaty.

Brown's government argues that the proposed treaty is much less ambitious than the constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005 and does not need to be put to a vote.

At the June EU summit, Blair's last, London won an exemption from the application in Britain of a legally binding EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Socrates said he wanted to wrap up the new treaty as soon as possible. Portugal, which took over the EU's rotating presidency last week, wants to open an Inter-Governmental Conference on the treaty this month and finish it in October and Brown agreed with this timetable, he said.

The agreement reached with Britain at the EU summit was very clear and he did not anticipate any problems with Britain during the detailed negotiations, Socrates added.

But, in an apparent allusion to Polish concerns over planned changes to EU voting rights, Socrates stressed Portugal had no authority to reopen the negotiating mandate.

Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski has said Poland will fight for a concession it says it won at the summit giving groups of countries short of a blocking minority a right to delay EU decisions for up to two years.
AlertNet news is provided by

Delicio.us  |   Digg  |   NewsVine  |   Reddit                                                                                  Permalink

Over 40 Taliban killed in Afghanistan-U.S. military
Over 40 Afghan insurgents killed - U.S. military
Side effects force women off 'safe' cancer pills
UDPATE 1-Argentina shuts Shell refinery, citing pollution
Argentina shuts Shell refinery, citing pollution
Christian Aid plans to double volunteer teacher network
Islamic groups join with Christian Aid for Climate Change rally in Birmingham
Actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio has pledged his support for Christian Aid's Cut the Carbon march.
ARCADE Seminar on "Culture and Conflict Prevention" - September 5th 2007, Barcelona
Leonardo DiCaprio backs 'Cut the Carbon' march
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2007-09-01T203811Z_01_SIN55_RTRIDSP_2_POLAND-ACCIDENT_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SIN55.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2007-09-01T203751Z_01_SIN54_RTRIDSP_2_POLAND-ACCIDENT_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SIN54.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2007-09-01T171408Z_01_RAD00R_RTRIDSP_2_POLAND-ACCIDENT_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/RAD00R.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2007-09-01T171044Z_01_RAD04D_RTRIDSP_2_POLAND-ACCIDENT_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/RAD04D.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2007-09-01T170958Z_01_RAD05D_RTRIDSP_2_POLAND-ACCIDENT_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/RAD05D.htm

Pilot Lech Marchelewski poses in this file photo taken in 2005. Marchelewski was killed performing aerial acrobatics as part of the Zelazny aerobatics team at the Radom Air Show in Poland on September 1, 2007, when his aircraft collided with his team mate's in front of thousands of spectators. A Reuters photographer at the scene said the collision occurred after a three-plane formation fanned out and two of the aircraft slammed into each other as they attempted to re-converge.



URL: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L09104815.htm

For our full disclaimer and copyright information please visit http://www.alertnet.org