'Moment of truth' beckons for EU leaders

The leader of parliament’s biggest political group has called this week’s crunch summit a “moment of truth” for the EU.

Addressing a gathering of centre-right leaders from all over Europe, the leader of parliament’s EPP-ED group Joseph Daul posed a series of questions; “Do we want to bring Europe out of the impasse, yes or no?”

“Do we accept making some sacrifices to see to it that Europe can decide what is truly at stake, yes or no?

“Do we understand that common success is worth more than declarations of illusory national ‘victories’, to court public opinion, yes or no?”

Daul was speaking at a meeting on Thursday at Meise, on the outskirts of Brussels.

Participants included centre-right leaders from several countries, including German chancellor Angela Merkel, Dutch prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende, Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker and former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Daul’s comments were endorsed by assorted other groups and NGOs.

Christoph Leitl, president of SME Union, the EU business association, said, “This is not the time for mini-compromises and weak solutions.

“We need more Europe, not less. The summit has to agree on a tangible strategy on how to move the EU forward.”

Riccardo Illy, president of the Strasbourg-based Assembly of European Regions (AER), called for a “simplified” text while insisting that the “fundamental pillars” of the draft treaty are retained.

As EU leaders arrived in Brussels for the key summit, MEP Tim Kirkhope, leader of UK Tories in parliament, entered into the fray, reiterating his call for a referendum if any new treaty transfers powers from Britain to the EU.

 "It is clear from the draft IGC mandate paper circulated by the German presidency that the government has given a huge amount of ground in the negotiations," he said.

"This is the European constitution, just under a different name.
 
"The government has had its head in the sand for months on this crucial issue for Britain. If Labour had really been interested in shifting debate away from resurrecting the constitution then we would not be faced with the kind of power-grabbing document now on the table. 

"It is vital that any new treaty that transfers powers from Britain to the European Union is subject to a referendum of the British people."

Meanwhile Belgian Liberal MEP Annemie Neyts, president of the ELDR, said she supported the efforts of the German presidency to break the deadlock over the treaty.

"The new treaty should include the institutional and procedural innovations as well as the binding nature of the charter of fundamental rights," she said.

ELDR leaders from all over Europe, also meeting in Brussels on the eve of the summit, said they were against reopening the institutional package, including the voting rights issue, agreed in the draft text.

"We need a new treaty so that the EU can work effectively," said Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

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