Brussels, 10/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - Although it has given a rather personal lecture on some of the points, the British government has very clearly endorsed the draft Constitution of the European Convention. This is the result of the "White Paper" presented by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Jack Straw, on Tuesday 9 September to the House of Commons.
"The Convention, skilfully chaired by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, has produced a text which is clearer and more comprehensible (than the current treaties: Editor's note), but does not alter the fundamental constitutional relationship between the Member States and the Union", asserted Mr Straw. "I don't pretend that it's an easy read. But it's a lot better, he said, underlining that the draft would get rid of the byzantine three pillar constitutional structure inherited from the Maastrich treaty. Mr Straw indicated that he was pleased with the fact that the draft 1) confirms that Member States are the main source of the legitimacy of the institutions, 2) strengthens the control of subsidiarity, 3) reinforces the powers of the national parliaments, 4) foresees the creation of a full time President for the European council (which would allow for more power to be given to the national governments, according to Mr Straw).
What are the objectives of the British government in the context of the Intergovernmental Conference? Mr Straw's response focuses on the extension of qualified majority voting at the Council and defence policy. He declared that, "We will insist that unanimity remain for Treaty change, and in other areas of vital national interest such as tax, social security, defence, key areas of criminal procedural law and the system of own resources". The British Minister added that unanimity had to remain the rule for foreign and common security policy, as foreseen in the draft of the Convention. Mr Straw reaffirmed that the United Kingdom remained opposed to a defence policy which would take it out of the NATO framework.