EU critical stuff, part 1

To choose between the USA & EU is like asking someone in Middle Earth to choose between Mordor & Isengard...

DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT
http://www.democracymovement.org.uk

Letter: Blair challenged to resist EU criminal sanctions
14th September 2005

In response to today's news that the EU has been given
sweeping powers to demand member countries impose criminal
sanctions in relation to EU rules, DM campaign director Marc
Glendening has written to Tony Blair asking for an
undertaking that the government will refuse to impose any
criminal sanctions the EU orders, given that the government
opposed the EU being given this power.

See the full text of the letter below. Please feel free to
use it in whole or part as a basis for a letter to the local
media. The DM has also written to the national media on the
subject.

best regards,
-Stuart-


Stuart Coster
Campaign manager



The Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

14th September 2005


Dear Mr Blair,

I am writing following the European Court of Justice's
momentous ruling on September 13th in relation to criminal
sanctions to ask if it is still your government's official
position that the EU has no intention whatsoever of
transforming itself into a system of government?

The ECJ ruling states that the EU, following a qualified
majority vote, can compel member states to impose criminal
sanctions, including prison sentences, on their citizens in
relation to EU directives. This clearly confirms the
transition of the EU into a criminal jurisdiction, one of
the key characteristics of a state.

If you now accept the self-evident, empirical reality that
the EU is acquiring the key characteristics of a state, will
this have any bearing on your belief in the desirability of
EU membership? If, on the other hand, you are still
maintaining that there is no project to build a
Brussels-based government, it would be interesting to know
what is your working definition of a 'state' and how this
differs from the current structure and powers of the
European Union, especially in view of the ECJ criminality
decision.

Given that your administration claims to oppose the ECJ's
new ruling, can you now give a categorical, public
undertaking that so long as you are prime minister the UK
government will refuse, on principle, to impose criminal
penalties that have been ordered by the EU?

Given that there is no existing article in the current
treaty granting Brussels this extraordinary power, it would
appear that your elected government would be in a very
strong position, morally and legally speaking, in
undertaking the commitment I am suggesting. It would also be
a very popular position with the electorate.

If you refuse to give this commitment, will it be because
you believe the UK has no legal option but to accept all
instructions that emanate from the decision-making processes
of the EU, or for some other reason?

Yours sincerely,
Marc Glendening

Campaign director
Democracy Movement