 The Wholesome Photo of the Month Thu May 09, 2024 11:01 | Anti-Empire
In 3 War Years Russia Will Have Spent $3... Thu May 09, 2024 02:17 | Anti-Empire
UK Sending Missiles to Be Fired Into Rus... Tue May 07, 2024 14:17 | Marko Marjanović
US Gives Weapons to Taiwan for Free, The... Fri May 03, 2024 03:55 | Anti-Empire
Russia Has 17 Percent More Defense Jobs ... Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:56 | Marko Marjanović Anti-Empire >>
A bird's eye view of the vineyard
Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb
The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog. We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).
What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are
Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of
The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by The Saker >>
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail supporter? Anthony
Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony
Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony
RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony
Waiting for SIPO Anthony Public Inquiry >>
Voltaire, international edition
Netanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en
Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en
Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en
Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en Voltaire Network >>
|
Top EU Commission official should not be speaking at tomorrow's meeting of National Forum on Europe
 international |
eu |
opinion/analysis
 Wednesday April 06, 2005 20:34 by Anthony Coughlan via an IMCer
. Dear Friends,
The Deputy Secretary-General of te EU Commission, Mr Guth, who will be speaking to the National Forum on Europe tomorrow in support of the proposed EU Constitution, should not be speaking at this event at all.
The European Commission is a highly interested party that would get a lot more extra power for itself if the EU Constitution were to be ratified and some 69 further national vetoes were to be abolished. The Commission would thereby get a big increase in its powers of legislative initiative under
the Constitution
Legally, the EU Commission and its servants have no role whatever in the ratification of EC/EU treaties in either European or national law. The ratification of European Treaties is exclusively a matter for the EU Member States as the "High Contracting Paties" that have negotiated and signed them.
The Commission obtains functions in relation to Treaties only AFTER they have ratified, but not before. Yet the Commission recently decided to spend 8 million euros in pushing the Yes side in the 10 EU Member States that are holding referendums.
If a top EU civil servant can get away with speaking in Ireland unchallenged, one can take it that it will be only a matter of time before
the Commission starts spending large amounts of money here in support of the pro-EU Constitution side. It is already doing this in other EU countries.
The political party and other interests that are members of the Forum and that care about basic democratic standards, should not let this development go unchallenged.
Mr Jan Zahradil MEP, former Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic and a leading member of Czech President Vaclav Klaus's ODC Party, is a well-known Czech EU-critic and is or has been a member of the SOS Democracy Group in the European Parliament.
Yours sincerely
Anthony Coughlan
National Forum on Europe FE/51
Agenda for the Fifty-First Plenary Session, to be held in St. Patrick's
Hall, Dublin Castle, on Thursday, 7 April, 2005, at 11.00 am
Theme: Getting to know the New EU Constitution: How can National
Parliaments have their say?
11.00 Opening Remarks by the Chairman of the Forum, Senator Maurice Hayes
11.03 Keynote remarks by Mr. Eckhart Guth, Deputy Secretary General of
the European Commission
11.18 Keynote remarks by Mr. Jan Zahradil, MEP, Czech Republic
11.33 Open Debate, with Questions and Comments from Members of the Forum
and of the Special Observer Pillar
12.40 Closing Remarks by Mr. Jan Zahradil and Mr. Eckhart Guth
13.00 Closing Remarks by Chairman of the Forum
13.03 Close of Session
|
printable version
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Gab
Twitter
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4Dear Mr. Coughlan,
So your idea is that only "euro sceptics" should be allowed to speak at the forum?
Dear Bengt O. Karlson
Anthony Coughlan was quite clear that legally the EU Commission has no place in the debate.
Unless you are suggesting that everyone but the Commission are EUsceptics then your comment is senseless, If you are suggesting that then surely the Commssion can make no claim to any mandate whatever.
Dear Mr. Adams,
The other keynote speaker is labeled as "is a well-known Czech EU-critic ". So, only he would be allowed to speak according to Mr. Coughlan.
Of course, it is alway more convenient if all participants in a debate agree with you. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, at least not on this side of the Chanell.
Dear Bengt O. Karlsson,
Please excuse my lack of title for you, I must confess to an appalling lack of knowledge regarding the gender of you name.
This only confirms my contention that this is a matter for the individual member states to decide, not for the institutions of the EU, in my opinion Mr Jan Zahradil as he is an MEP should not be a speaker either.
Your national debate is about, you as a sovereign nation, wishing to accept the EU Constitution and wishing to pass those powers and your sovereignty to the EU, that the Constitution requires. It therefore seems to me that for both of the speakers to be part of the institutions of the EU which is in fact not a contributor of, but is the recipient of, those powers, will lead to a one sided, or at least partial debate.
I am absolutely certain that you do have extremely well qualified speakers on both sides of the question who could argue the case for and against the constitution from the point of view of your own country. It is quite simply a matter for concern for your people and your people only in this instance, it is up to you to decide your future, it is not up to the EU institutions enter into this debate. The EU has in effect already set out its stall in the constitution, now we all must decide ourselves if we wish to participate, preferably without a chorus of stall holders of bawling from the sidelines.