The EU Constitution: A Referendum Imperative for Pro-European Forces

Tony Blair's sudden u-turn in favor of a referendum on the European Union's draft constitutional treaty marks a crucial moment in the lead-up to the June 10 European Parliament elections. By conceding to a referendum, Mr. Blair aims to sideline the issue during the elections, but pro-Europeans from all parties must now make a stronger case for the constitution and Britain's commitment to the EU. A successful referendum challenge to the anti-European propagandists in the press will be essential for Mr. Blair's victory.

Key Takeaways:

• The draft constitution is a constitutional treaty, not a tablet of stone, aimed at making an enlarged EU workable, clarifying its responsibilities, and increasing accountability.
• The hardest task for pro-Europeans will be to dispel moderate concerns about EU powers, as some EU legislation has been onerous and clumsy.
• The draft constitution does not repatriate powers to member states and contains textual ambiguities, but its provisions are not as dire as claimed by critics.
• Critics' assumptions about the EU being the greatest source of intrusive regulation overlook Britain's regulatory epidemic.
• The new constitution does not add a single new policy power to the EU, and single out policy areas already under EU responsibility, such as environmental or consumer protection.

Statistics:

• The number of EU regulations, directives, and decisions has remained broadly stable at just over 3,000 over the past decade.
• In 2002, the UK produced 3,849 new regulations in the form of statutory instruments, which escaped normal parliamentary scrutiny applied to EU regulations.
• The EU's qualified majority voting system has been in place since 1987, with no evidence of excessive EU activism.

Sources:

• "Europe's choice" by NICK CLEGG, The Financial Times.