Blair faces fraught EU summit
Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "Guardian"
Blair faces fraught EU summit
Thursday June 16, 2005
Tony Blair joins the other 24 EU leaders today for one of the most fraught summits in the union's history, with the budget, the British rebate and the constitution all on the negotiating table.
The British prime minister is isolated from the rest of Europe on the issue of Britain's £3.2bn refund, first negotiated by Margaret Thatcher 21 years ago.
But on the vexed question of the future of the constitution - still to be ratified by over half the member states, and already rejected by France and the Netherlands - Mr Blair's plea for a "pause for reflection" is likely to prevail, despite German objections.
The 25 leaders will meet in Brussels late today for talks and a formal dinner, before a full day of talks tomorrow aimed at settling the 2007-13 budget and the fate of the constitution.
A failure to agree the budget - with France and Germany resisting any dilution of the common agricultural policy (CAP) which accounts for 40% of EU spending - will mean the problem is handed over to Mr Blair when he takes over the rotating EU presidency on July 1.
Before Mr Blair left London, his official spokesman said it would be tomorrow afternoon at the earliest before it emerged whether any deals were possible.
And he stressed the UK's position on the rebate had not changed since Mr Blair turned down the Luxembourg presidency's offer of a freeze earlier this week.
The spokesman said: "What we are determined to do is to stick to two principles. One is to recognise that the rebate, while it is the symptom not the problem, is necessary while the problem remains.
"And secondly to keep pressing for an EU budget which more accurately reflects the needs of the EU now, rather than the needs of the EU 30 or 40 years ago.
He added: "I don't think we are going to really have a sense of how long this summit's going to be, or whether a deal is going to be possible or not until tomorrow evening."
Yesterday, the president of the European commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, warned of paralysis and "permanent crisis" in Europe if the 25 heads of government fail to show political maturity and a spirit of compromise.
He backed Mr Blair's call for a "period of reflection" on the constitution's fate, but said a compromise on future EU spending was better than no deal at all.
Yesterday in the House of Commons Mr Blair called on EU leaders to refocus priorities away from the treaty, and reconnect with citizens over issues such as globalisation and the transatlantic relationship.
This morning the German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, who has already seen the constitution ratified by a vote of MPs in the Bundestag, urged fellow nations to press on with the process.
He said he stood "without ifs and buts" behind the treaty, telling the German parliament the Brussels summit "can give advice, but it cannot break off the ratification processes or rule in what form, in what time frames they should take place".
Although the UK has rejected a compromise proposal from Luxembourg for Britain's controversial rebate to be frozen, an idea floated by EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, for the 10, mostly poor, accession states to be excused from contributing, may offer space for negotiatiors.
The chair of today's talks, Luxembourg prime minister Jean Claude Juncker has said cuts in farm spending are up for summit discussion as well.
But it is unlikely either France or Germany, who agreed in 2002 to maintain the CAP through the 2007-13 period, will compromise. The French president, Jacques Chirac, is weakened by the failure of the French referendum, and Mr Schröder is facing an election in the autumn where he trails the opposition by up to 20%.
The Irish taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, yesterday said he too did not want to see the CAP reformed in the near future.
A budget breakdown now is not terminal, as the new budget, with or without the British rebate intact, is not due in force until 2007. But a likely summit decision to quietly drop the November 2006 deadline for ratification will, in effect, signal the end of the treaty. EU officials say a summit declaration leaving it up to each country to decide how - and when - to continue with ratification will reduce the prospects of all 25 countries eventually saying yes to the document to nil.
accurately- dokładnie
break off- zrywać
dilution- rozcieńczenie
fate- los, przeznaczenie
float- wprowadzać w życie
fraught- napięty
hand over- przekazać
intact- nienaruszony, nietknięty
maintain- utrzymywać, podtrzymywać
prevail- przeważać, dominować
rebate- rabat
summit- szczyt
take over- przejmować, przejąć
vexed- zirytowany, rozdrażniony
