By Kevin Peel
What does the government claim it wants to do?
David Cameron wants an opt-out for Britain from the concept of ‘ever-closer union’ which is enshrined in the Lisbon treaty. Tories portray this as a means to achieve an eventual ‘United States of Europe’ – and perhaps for some that is what it means. What is often overlooked are the subsequent five words: ‘ever-closer union among the peoples of Europe’ – not governments.
What does this really mean?
What it means technically is a revision of the Lisbon treaty to remove or amend this particular sentence. This would require the consent of the European parliament and all 28 member states – some of which would be required to hold a referendum on the matter. There is little appetite for – and no realistic prospect of – treaty change before the end of 2017, when both France and Germany hold important national elections. The best Cameron could hope for is a commitment to consider treaty change in 2018. This is unlikely to be enough to satisfy his own Eurosceptic backbenchers, though.
What would achieving this mean for the UK?
In reality it would not mean anything. It would, however, be seen as a victory for Cameron, albeit largely symbolic, in his bid to take a stand against further integration and EU ‘meddling’ in ‘British’ affairs.
What would achieving this mean for the EU?
Again it would mean little in reality, but the emotional impact on the continent is likely to be significant. For many the ambition of an ever-closer union of the people of Europe goes to the heart of the purpose of the European project. Cue a lot of soul-searching in the corridors of power in capitals across Europe.
What should Labour do about it?
We have two possible options. The first is to simply dismiss this as posturing, with any change unlikely to have any real impact on the EU or our relationship with it and not worth fighting for. The second is to defend the principle, redefining it in British terms as part of an optimistic and hopeful vision of an interconnected Europe working closely together at every level – through citizen networks, local and national governments and the European institutions – to tackle big global challenges like climate change and poverty.
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Kevin Peel is a member of the executive of Labour Movement for Europe. He tweets @KevPeel
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