Saturday 17 December 2011

Err, excuse me Mr. EU but Article 4 of the TEU?

The Eire Independent reports that Ireland (Republic of - as distinct from what the locals in the North, I'm reliably informed, refer to as 'Norn Iron') will not be able to hold up ratification of a new European treaty, even if a referendum on the agreement is required in that country. This is because the new 'treaty', formulated following 'Events Buxelles' earlier this month, can be enacted just on the votes of 9 member states. It is obvious that this 'arrangement' has been decided upon to ensure that this new 'treaty' is not scuppered by one of the 26 (a figure that may well decrease), who we are informed are in agreement to this new 'treaty', holding a referendum which results in rejection.


This decision to ratify any new treaty would appear to be in contravention of Article 4.2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), which states:
"The Union shall respect the equality of Member states before the Treaties as well as their national identities, inherent in their fundamental structures, political and constitutional,........"
This decision also kinda makes a mockery of the Preamble to the TEU in which it is stated:
"Confirming their attachment to the principles of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law."

Just saying................ 
 

8 comments:

Woodsy42 said...

If the EU can throw out elected european heads of state they are unlikely to be inconvenienced by a mere regulation.

john in cheshire said...

What did James Cagney say just before he was blown to kingdom come? Look at me, Ma; on top of the world.
Pride goes before destruction and a Haughty spirit before a fall.
I hope I live to see the EU elite wallowing in their own fall. That includes the traitors in our own nation.

Trooper Thompson said...

John in Cheshire,

I take issue with your comparison. The character played by Cagney in 'White Heat'who you mention was a cold-blooded killer, but he did at least love his mother, which could be called a redeeming quality.

The EU has no redeeming quality.

john in cheshire said...

TT, point taken and I am suitable chastised.

Edward Spalton said...

"Norn Iron"

I have noticed this pronunciation occasionally and heard it transmogrified by sub-cockney mainland weather forecasters to "Nawv'n'ion"

Come back, Lord Reith! All is forgiven!

On a more serious point, the proposed treaty appears to be an intergovernmental one yet still places its enforcement under the authority of the EU institutions.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

W42: As we are seeing.......

jic & TT: Lets hope we both do! Also TT quite correct, the EU has no redeeming feature.

ES: Yes, noticed your last comment, too.

Anonymous said...

The more the EU pushes the Irish the sooner they will rediscover their spirit of independence. If their Corp Tax is 'harmonised' by QMV, leading to interntional businesses moving to a more favourable location (possibly across the Irish Sea to England, it surely won't be long before Paddy starts digging up the semtex.

I can't comment on Norn Iron - I can never understand a word they're saying. In one respect at least the Southern Irish have the upper hand - their accent is easy on the ears.

Edward Spalton said...

I did quite a bit of business in Northern Ireland and got to like the place and people very well. As my wife is from the West of Scotland, I didn't have too much trouble understanding them! The different communities had little trouble in co-operating closely to extract EU or government grants.

I brought over a mill manager and foreman to look at one of our machines working in a mill near Wolverhampton. The mill manager explained it all very well but I could see that there was little understanding. The Brummie accent was quite incomprehensible to them!

At one time I had an Australian salesman looking after England.
"What a bleedin' country!" he said "You drive sixty miles and they all speak a different language!"