Open Europe monthly bulletin

[Politics.be]

1. New Open Europe research: The rise of the EU's surveillance stateAs ratification of the EU's Lisbon Treaty draws closer, new research from Open Europe warns that the Treaty will help accelerate moves towards an EU surveillance state. The Lisbon Treaty marks a significant shift of power away from national governments and will lead to an increase in the volume and scope of EU legislation, which is already having a profound impact on EU citizens' civil liberties and privacy.

As well as measures on asylum and immigration policy, EU ministers and the European Commission are currently negotiating a raft of controversial new proposals, which are set to radically increase the EU's role in policing, criminal, and security matters.

They include: a target to train a third of all police officers across the EU in a "common culture" of policing; the mass collection and sharing of personal data including DNA records into an EU-wide database; controversial surveillance techniques including 'cyber patrols'; the creation of a fledgling 'EU Home Office' with powers to decide on cooperation on police, border, immigration and criminal justice issues; an EU "master plan" on information exchange; the transfer of criminal proceedings among EU member states; a three-fold increase in the number of controversial EU arrest warrants; access to other member states' national tax databases; and EU laws on citizens' right to internet access, among many other things.

The Government's claim that under Lisbon the UK will maintain independence and can 'pick and choose' which justice and home affairs policies it opts into is a smokescreen. In practice, the UK has often been a key driver of policy, and has in some instances even exported domestic initiatives to the rest of the EU, particularly those that increase the power of the state over the individual. The most prominent example is the Data Retention Directive, which requires telecoms service providers to record the destination of our every phone call, email and text message.

This method of 'exporting' UK initiatives to the EU is akin to policy making via the back door, circumventing the democratic control of Parliament.

To read the press release, click the link below:

http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-c...sreleaseid=123



To read the report, please click here:

http://www.openeurope.org.uk/researc...atchingyou.pdf



Click here to leave your comments on our blog:

http://openeuropeblog.blogspot.com/2...nce-state.html


2. Ministers approve plan for €50bn 'EU Foreign Office'

At this week's EU summit, EU foreign ministers have approved plans for the EU External Action Service (EEAS), to be created if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, confirming it will consist of 7,000 employees, and will require an investment of as much as €50 billion before 2013, according to Spanish daily El Pais. The EU's current foreign policy chief Javier Solana has declared that it would be "the top diplomatic network in the world". (El PaÃ*s, 27 October; Le Figaro 30 October)

A document obtained from the Swedish EU Presidency reveals plans to turn the EEAS into an EU institution in its own right, with its own budget and "a leading role in strategic decision-making". The report shows that the plan is to incorporate the EU's various military bodies and make this a real EU Foreign Ministry, all overseen by the EU's new Foreign Minister, who will also be brought in by the Lisbon Treaty.

The European Parliament's External Relations Committee once warned that if the diplomatic service was set up as an independent institution it would "take on an uncontrollable life of its own" and would result in an "independent super administration". (Open Europe blog EUobserver, 26 October)

3. Backroom deal between Merkel and Sarkozy to decide EU President?

Also being discussed at this week's EU summit are the new roles of EU President and Foreign Minister, which are created by the Lisbon Treaty. Although no announcements on who will fill the roles are expected at the summit - the formal selection process is likely to be put off for a special meeting of the EU's 27 national leaders in November if the Czech Republic ratifies Lisbon - speculation has been rife that Tony Blair may be appointed President, with EU leaders discussing potential candidates in backrooms and corridors. (FT, 29 October)

Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband have been openly pushing Blair's bid at this week's summit but Conservative sources have warned Europe that it will face a "five-year war" with Britain if Blair is installed as President. (Times Mail, 29 October)

However, the latest reports suggest that Blair's chances are diminishing, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, during a dinner on Wednesday, appear to have decided that the post should go to a centre-right politician. This seems to be part of a backroom deal between Europe's political leaders, in which the Left would nominate a candidate for the post of EU Foreign Minister. (Telegraph, 30 October)

Regardless of who will become EU President, the selection process, which is taking place behind closed doors and far beyond the oversight of voters, illustrates how far away the EU has moved from the original intention of the EU Constitution - to move the EU closer to its citizens.

The apparent unlikelihood of Blair becoming President has boosted the chances of a Briton taking on the Foreign Minister role. Miliband has been shortlisted but he and Gordon Brown have been quick to disqualify him from the running. Miliband was quoted saying, "Not available, as the prime minister said."

Meanwhile, EU leaders have also been seeking a way of ensuring Czech President Vaclav Klaus signs the Lisbon Treaty as soon as possible. He is the only remaining obstacle to the Treaty and EU leaders have offered Klaus assurances on the Charter of Fundamental Rights, contained in the Treaty, which he says could threaten Czech property rights. (Irish Times, 29 October)

However, Klaus is also awaiting the verdict of the Czech Constitutional Court on a legal challenge to the Treaty brought by 17 Czech senators with Klaus' support. The Court is expected to rule on the case on 3 November. (BBC, 27 October)

Open Europe's Pieter Cleppe had an article in Czech daily MF Dnes, in which he argued that, "The Lisbon Treaty means a critical transfer of power to the EU. It will make it easier to pass laws in Brussels rather than in national parliaments like the Parliament of the Czech Republic". Pieter wrote that "according to a study by academics at the London School of Economics, the power of the Czech Republic to block laws it dislikes will be cut by a massive 51% under the Lisbon Treaty, compared with less than 2% for Germany". (MF Dnes: Cleppe, 20 October)

To sign a petition in support of President Klaus, click here:
http://www.petition.co.uk/stand_firm_president_klaus

4. News in brief
European Commission plans for EU tax and end of UK rebate from EU budget. A leaked document from the European Commission reveals proposals that the EU budget should in future be funded by a direct EU tax, rather than the present model in which national contributions are based on Gross National Income (GNI). The document suggests that money for the EU budget should be raised through levies on phone calls, flights, financial transactions or carbon emissions. Controversially, the Commission also proposes that the UK's rebate from the EU budget - worth £4.9 billion in 2008 - should be phased out. (Express Leaked Commission Communication, 28 October 2009)

UK to pay £5m more a day into EU budget after MEPs vote for increase. MEPs have voted to increase the EU budget in 2010 against the advice of the European Commission and the European Council, which represents all 27 member states. The budget looks set to increase by £10 billion, bringing it up to £116 billion. This means Britain will be funding the EU by an additional £5 million a day on top of its current annual net contribution of £4.1 billion. (Telegraph, 26 October)

Taxpayers fund £250,000 for unused luxury shower for French EU Presidency. The cost of the last French EU Presidency in 2008 has come under scrutiny after reports that it was one of the most expensive in history, costing an estimated ‚¬150 million. One of the most outrageous expenses was for a £250,000 shower, complete with air conditioning, radio 'surround sound' and built to the exact specifications of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. (Reuters El Mundo Le Figaro, 21 October; Metro Telegraph, 28 October)

Senior EU Commission officials working for Mandelson given tickets to rugby match by sportswear firm. The European Commission has admitted that it should not have allowed two senior officials working for Peter Mandelson, the then EU Trade Commissioner, to accept VIP tickets from sportswear maker Nike to watch a rugby match in Paris. In September 2007, Nike offered the two officials VIP tickets to see the opening game of the rugby world cup in Paris, as well as a car which was sent to take them from Brussels to Paris. The complaint was brought before the European Ombudsman after it was suspected the two had received the offer due to their involvement in setting EU trade tariffs on sports shoes made in China and Vietnam. (European Voice, 29 October)

5. Open Europe events
"Eurozone: out of the woods, or off the cliff?" - Tuesday 27 October 2009
Open Europe held a debate in London to discuss the prospects of the Eurozone in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Speaking at the event were: Otmar Issing, former member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank; David Marsh, Chairman of the London and Oxford Group; and Derek Scott, former Economics Advisor to Tony Blair.



To read a summary of the event or listen to a recording, please visit our events page:

http://www.openeurope.org.uk/events/

6. Open Europe in the news
How the EU is watching you

29 October National Interest 28 October Ziua 27 October Mail Express Telegraph Ziua.net 25 October Sunday Express

Open Europe's new report, "How the EU is watching you - the rise of Europe's surveillance state", was reported in the Sunday Express, News of the World, Mail, Telegraph and Express. Open Europe's Stephen Booth was quoted in the Express saying "Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty will see powers over justice and home affairs policy almost completely shifted to the EU level. We are fast approaching a situation where the EU will have the full coercive machinery of a state, but without the proper democratic controls or robust checks on power that citizens should expect.''

The Telegraph quoted the report saying: "In practice, the UK has often been a key driver of policy, and has in some instances even exported domestic initiatives to the rest of the EU, particularly those that increase the power of the state over the individual."

Quoted in the Mail, Stephen said: "How can citizens expect their fundamental rights to liberty and independence from the state to be protected by unaccountable institutions which have a vested interest in creating more laws?"

Blair for EU President?

29 October HN

Open Europe's Sarah Gaskell was quoted by Slovak paper HN on the prospect of Blair being appointed EU President.

ECB's former chief economist at Open Europe debate: "The challenges facing the ECB are tremendous"28 October Telegraph: Evans-Pritchard 27 October Telegraph: Ambrose Evans-Pritchard's blog

Following Open Europe's debate, "Eurozone: out of the woods, or off the cliff?" Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, writing in the Telegraph, quoted Otmar Issing, the ECB's former chief economist, who told the forum that "Nobody can be sure that we have a self-sustaining recovery. The challenges facing the ECB are tremendous." Evans-Pritchard also mentioned the event on his blog.
Plans for an EU tax would "rightly cause concern among British taxpayers"

28 October Express Leaked Commission Communication
On the front page of the Express, Open Europe Research Director Mats Persson commented on a document leaked from the European Commission which proposed that funding of the EU budget should in future be made through a direct EU tax. Mats was quoted warning that the plans for an EU tax would "rightly cause concern among British taxpayers".



UK MEPs should take the lead on transparency

28 October Wales Online 19 October Telegraph
Following reports that British MEPs are paying relatives hundreds of thousands of pounds to work for them in the European Parliament, Open Europe's Mats Persson was quoted in the Telegraph saying, "It doesn't look good...It's much better if MEPs do not employ family members, in terms of public perception and avoiding suspicion, whether justified or not. The British pride themselves on taking the lead in Europe but on this they are trailing far behind."

An article on Wales Online cited Open Europe's finding that Lord and Lady Kinnock received some £8m in salaries and allowances and another £4m in six publicly-funded pensions, worth about £150,000 a year, from their times as EU Commissioner and MEP in Brussels.



European Commission's use of media spin

28 October Soitu
Spanish news site Soitu.es quoted Open Europe's Stephen Booth, in an article discussing the use of the media by the EU, saying: "Instead of trying to sell 'ever closer union' to the media the EU would do far better to listen to citizens' demands for a more transparent and democratic EU, and concentrate on reforming many of its failing policies."



EU's AIFM Directive to cost billions
26 October Sunday Telegraph 22 October Telegraph 17 October Sunday Telegraph October 15 Financial Times
Open Europe's research on the AIFM directive continued to receive coverage. The FT quoted Open Europe's report on the costs and impact of the Directive, noting that "The tax revenues generated over two years by AIFMs in the UK could pay for the entire 2012 London Olympics."

The Telegraph quoted Open Europe's findings that the Directive would cost the industries an estimated ¬1.3bn (£1.2bn) to ¬1.9bn in compliance costs in the first year alone. Open Europe was also quoted in the Sunday Telegraph, in an article looking at efforts in the European Parliament to amend the Directive, while, writing in the same paper, Matthew Elliott of the Taxpayers Alliance cited Open Europe's recent survey which suggests the industry contributes £5.3bn to the Exchequer every year.



The cost of France's EU Presidency

22 October La Vanguardia
Spanish daily La Vanguardia quoted Open Europe's Pieter Cleppe, in a report on the cost of last year's French EU Presidency, saying, "the presidencies will continue to cost the same , but in most part it will only be for show. Up until now the investment was worthwhile because the country was gaining political influence, something of interest for the smallest countries".

EU's Constitutional Hubris

20 October Providence Journal

In an article covering the trials and tribulations of the Lisbon Treaty, an article in the Providence Journal took up Open Europe Director Lorraine Mullally's argument that Cameron must demand reforms to the EU budget in the event that the Lisbon Treaty goes into effect before a general election in the UK.


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Bron: politics.be