On 1 November 2014 the following areas of competence will switch from requiring unanimous approval of all the member states of the EU to just qualified majority voting. In addition the EU Commission have managed to make it even harder for EU provinces (for that's what the countries that make up the EU are now) to vote down any proposal from the Commission - there now has
to be a 'blocking minority' which represents 'at least three quarters of EU citizens' or 'at least three quarters of member states. Even if such a 'blocking minority' is achieved then the Council undertakes only to 'discuss the issue' further.
1 November is another step on the well trailed path from independent EU nations to a United States of Europe, and not even a democratic United States of Europe but one run by a small cadre of appointees.
The list below shows the area of competence, then what was required under the Treaty of Nice and then from 1 November under the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty:
Initiatives of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Administrative co-operation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Asylum – Nice: QMV; Lisbon: QMV
Border controls – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Citizens' initiative regulations – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Civil protection – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Committee of the Regions – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Common defence policy – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Crime prevention incentives – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Criminal judicial co-operation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Criminal law – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Culture – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Diplomatic & Consular protection – Nice: Unanimity Lisbon: QMV
Economic & Social Committee – Nice: QMV Lisbon: QMV
Emergency international aid – Nice: Unanimity Lisbon: QMV
Energy – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
EU budget – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Eurojust – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
European Central Bank – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
European Court of Justice – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Europol – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Eurozone external representation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Foreign Affairs High Representative election – Lisbon: QMV
Freedom of movement for workers – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Freedom to establish a business – Nice: Unanimity Lisbon QMV
Freedom, security, justice, co-operation & evaluation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Funding the Common Foreign & Security Policy – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
General economic interest services – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Humanitarian aid – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Immigration – Nice: QMV; Lisbon: QMV
Intellectual property – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Organisation of the Council of the EU – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Police co-operation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
President of the European Council election – Lisbon: QMV
Response to natural disasters & terrorism – Lisbon: QMV
Rules concerning the Armaments Agency – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Self-employment access rights – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Social Security Unanimity – Nice: QMV; Lisbon: QMV
Space – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Sport – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Structural &Cohesion Funds – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Tourism – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Transport – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Withdrawal of a member state – Lisbon: QMV
Remember who signed the Lisbon Treaty, Gordon Brown. Here he is signing the Treaty and with it away with another part of the UK's independence...
Is the word traitor too strong?
I am sure David Cameron will once again tell us that the UK is "in Europe but not ruled by Europe". Maybe someone could ask him how his claim matches up to the facts.
to be a 'blocking minority' which represents 'at least three quarters of EU citizens' or 'at least three quarters of member states. Even if such a 'blocking minority' is achieved then the Council undertakes only to 'discuss the issue' further.
1 November is another step on the well trailed path from independent EU nations to a United States of Europe, and not even a democratic United States of Europe but one run by a small cadre of appointees.
The list below shows the area of competence, then what was required under the Treaty of Nice and then from 1 November under the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty:
Initiatives of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Administrative co-operation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Asylum – Nice: QMV; Lisbon: QMV
Border controls – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Citizens' initiative regulations – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Civil protection – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Committee of the Regions – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Common defence policy – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Crime prevention incentives – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Criminal judicial co-operation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Criminal law – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Culture – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Diplomatic & Consular protection – Nice: Unanimity Lisbon: QMV
Economic & Social Committee – Nice: QMV Lisbon: QMV
Emergency international aid – Nice: Unanimity Lisbon: QMV
Energy – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
EU budget – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Eurojust – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
European Central Bank – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
European Court of Justice – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Europol – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Eurozone external representation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Foreign Affairs High Representative election – Lisbon: QMV
Freedom of movement for workers – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Freedom to establish a business – Nice: Unanimity Lisbon QMV
Freedom, security, justice, co-operation & evaluation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Funding the Common Foreign & Security Policy – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
General economic interest services – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Humanitarian aid – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Immigration – Nice: QMV; Lisbon: QMV
Intellectual property – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Organisation of the Council of the EU – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Police co-operation – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
President of the European Council election – Lisbon: QMV
Response to natural disasters & terrorism – Lisbon: QMV
Rules concerning the Armaments Agency – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Self-employment access rights – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Social Security Unanimity – Nice: QMV; Lisbon: QMV
Space – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Sport – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Structural &Cohesion Funds – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Tourism – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Transport – Nice: Unanimity; Lisbon: QMV
Withdrawal of a member state – Lisbon: QMV
Remember who signed the Lisbon Treaty, Gordon Brown. Here he is signing the Treaty and with it away with another part of the UK's independence...
Is the word traitor too strong?
I am sure David Cameron will once again tell us that the UK is "in Europe but not ruled by Europe". Maybe someone could ask him how his claim matches up to the facts.
The word traitor appears strictly accurate to my way of thinking, especially in relation to Gordon Brown.
ReplyDeleteOED defines the word traitor as follows:
Traitor:
NOUN
A person who betrays someone or something, such as a friend, cause, or principle.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French traitour, from Latin traditor, from tradere 'hand over'.
Note especially its origins in the term "hand over".
To traitor I would also raise you the word "Collaborator". OED shows this word to have two basic meanings, one of which is innocuous. The other describes what many of our political class have been involved in for the past forty one years in terms of giving aid and comfort to an occupying power in the UK:
Collaborator:
NOUN
1) A person who works jointly on an activity or project; an associate:
his collaborator on the book.
2) A person who cooperates traitorously with an enemy; a defector.
For forty one years constitutional changes have been made in the UK without parliament seeking the consent of the electorate. Tony Benn used to hammer away at this point, reminding us that under our system it is supposed to be the people who are sovereign - not parliament. How soon we forget.