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	MAJOR ISSUES BULLETIN
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GOVERNMENT ADMITS ACTING ILLEGALLY OVER EU PROPOSALS- WELL ALMOST.

[Use of Article 308 of the Treaty establishing the European Community as the legal basis for the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism -in other words a back -door to implement further integrationist measures even though the New European Constitution was rejected by France and Holland]

In a recent letter to the Daily Telegraph (24th January). Geoff Hoon angrily dismissed claims that the Government was turning a blind eye to new laws for which there was no legal basis. This followed a story in that newspaper which suggested that leaked papers from the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee showed that the Minister candidly accepted

THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING

-in order that the Government could get its own way in other matters.

[Geoff Hoon was angry because he had been found out and a guilty conscience made that bitterness more vitriol]

But Mr Hoon now declared:

"If we felt the measures fell outside the EU's legal competence, we would not hesitate to vote against".

Well, a recent exchange in the House of Lords demonstrates that Mr Hoon's denials should be treated with the same degree of scepticism as the annual EU accounts [which have not been cleared for twelve years].

On 17th January Lord Pearson of Rannock asked the Government:

"Whether they have supported, in the Council of Ministers, the European Union's use of Article 308 of the Treaty establishing the[1972] European Community as the legal basis for the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism".

For the Government Lord Bassam of Brighton replied:

" In 2001 the United Kingdom supported the adoption of a Council decision establishing the EU Civil Protection mechanism. The mechanism has Article 308 of the Treaty establishing the European Union as its legal base. The mechanism provides a means for member states to prepare for and to offer mutual assistance and assistance to third countries in the event of natural or man-made disasters".

This would seem close to an admission that the Government HAS been permitting the EU to ACT ILLEGALLY

As Lord Stoddart pointed out:

" If Article 308 is designed to deal with matters Common Market, how can it be used for matters that are clearly nothing to do with the Common Market?"

Having appeared to accept that the

EU HAD BEEN ACTING ILLEGALLY

Lord Bassam immediately backtracked:

"My Lords, first, I do not recognise it as an entirely new power. It has been there for a number of years. I also take issue with the disparaging comment of the noble Lord appeared to make about the value of Article 308, which enables the European Union to make aid and assistance available to those who undoubtedly need it when there is a man-made or natural disaster. Those are surely extreme circumstances and it seems entirely right that we act within the remit of Article 308 to provide such assistance".

Subsequent remarks make it clear he was referring to natural disasters such as the Tsunami in Indonesia and droughts in sub-Saharan Africa.

To argue that the EU's new powers are justifiable because natural disasters and acts of terror can disrupt the workings of the market is stretching the point, TO PUT IT MILDLY. To suggest that they are necessary so that we can respond to tragedies in the Third World IS ABSURD: those who framed Article 308 were plainly referring to the COMMON MARKET that the EU aspires to be -NOT TO THIRD WORLD economies.

[We are sure there must be to assist the Government a special double-talk department which vets every illegal act before implementation in order to have ready at least an explanation however fanciful that they were clear of any misdoing in their interpretation of the case before their lordships.]

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[For more details]

EU reminds French and Dutch voters they cannot say No! to rejected New EU Constitution

Lord McIntosh says of the EU-There is no doubt that there are both irregularities and FRAUD as of all systems [So What!]

CAN THE 1972 ACCESSION TREATY TO THE EU BE REPEALED? -YES!

Eurofacts 23rd February 2007

Vol 12 No 10

http://junepress.com

http://thewestminsternews.co.uk

http://eutruth.org.uk

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