The Financial Times, 21 June 2007
Letter to the Editor: UK needs calm and pragmatism at the negotiating table
Sir, As business leaders committed to the UK's relationship with the rest of Europe, we view the upcoming European Council meeting as an opportunity to reform the EU. While the UK debate has been dominated by speculation about a referendum, we should be wary of becoming obsessed with the means of ratification, at the expense of what will be agreed in the treaty.
There is no doubt that some provisions of the old constitutional treaty were misconceived, but there are other measures which should be retained in a new treaty, which are sensible responses to the EU's expansion from 15 to 27 member states in the last three years. The proposals to end the rotating presidency, to merge the two foreign affairs roles, to reform voting weights in the European Council and to give national parliaments a greater role in the decision-making process are among the measures that should attract support from those who genuinely wish to see the EU work better.
Such reforms will enable the EU to deliver on its important policy agenda, from climate change and energy security to services liberalisation and better regulation. At the same time, some proposals should be resisted, like giving the Charter of Fundamental Rights full legal force and any erosion of the UK's veto over tax policy. Of course those allergic to the notion of European co-operation will oppose any treaty. But the UK's approach should be calm and pragmatic, recognising the necessity and benefits of the UK playing a leading role in Europe.
Lord Brittan of Spennithorne QC,
Roger Carr, Chairman, Centrica,
Guy Dawson, Founding Partner, Tricorn Partners
Niall FitzGerald,
Sir Philip Hampton, Chairman, Sainsbury
Vijay Patel, chief executive, Waymade Healthcare,
Sir Mike Rake, Chairman, KPMG International,
Roland Rudd, Chairman, Business for New Europe,
Bryan Sanderson, Co-Chairman, Asia Task Force,
Rosemary Thorne, Non-Executive Director, Cadbury Schweppes,
Bill Thomas, President, EDS Europe, Middle East & Africa,
Lord Tugendhat, Senior Adviser, Lehman Brothers