{news} USGP-INT FW: [Green Mail] EU Constitution: yes and no

[Justine McCabe]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "juliawillebrand" <julia.willebrand at verizon.net>
To: <usgp-int at gp-us.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2004 6:37 PM
Subject: USGP-INT FW: [Green Mail] EU Constitution: yes and no


 Dear All

 What our Green colleagues in the UK have to say about  the proposed EU
 constitution.

 Julia Willebrand
 USGP International Committee Co-chair
 FPVA Co-president

Green Party CONFERENCE NEWS

 EU Constitution must go back to drawing board, say Greens

 "We want a constitution, but the current proposal would entrench much of
what's worst about the EU"


 The Green Party announced from its conference in Weston Super Mare today
that it would campaign actively against the current draft of the proposed EU
Constitution - and would continue to offer positive, progressive policies
for EU reform.

 Caroline Lucas MEP, the party's Principal Speaker, said today: "We are
committed to the European Union and to the idea of an EU constitutional
treaty. But we want a more progressive EU, an EU which serves social justice
and provides for an ecologically sustainable future."

The conference reiterated a previous statement by the party council that it
would say "no" in the referendum to be held on the proposals, and committed
the party to joining the umbrella "no" campaign that will be set up for the
referendum.

But the Greens made it clear that they would not tolerate right-wing or
xenophobic arguments. For the Greens, the issue was about the contents of
the proposed draft, not least its economic provisions. Party campaigns
coordinator and economics spokesperson Molly Scott Cato explained: "The
current proposals would commit the EU strongly to neoliberal economics,
which would take Europe in the wrong direction. Any move we might make
towards building a sustainable economy could be ruled unconstitutional if it
impeded the drive for profit that's central to the capitalist economy. There
are more important things than profit."

Wrong type of constitution would derail real progress

She added: "There's a lot that needs improving about the EU, and the wrong
type of constitution would derail real progress. The Constitution should
enshrine principles of democracy, accountability, social justice and
sustainability. The Greens will keep on making the progressive case for EU
reform."

John Norris, the party's international coordinator, underlined that "The
Greens are an unashamedly internationalist and pro-European party, but we
are very sceptical about the existing arrangements in the EU. We want more
decisions taken lower down, closer to the people most affected by them. We
want the EU to take its proper role in dealing with issues that cross
national boundaries, like human rights and environmental protection, and
promoting peaceful and constructive ways to prevent conflict."

John, who introduced the motion, stressed the party's concerns about the
increased military role of the EU. "The Green Party is about peace and we
are not into a constitution which prescribes that all countries will
increase their military capabilities. We are not in favour of an EU army -
not even an EU army euphemised as a 'rapid reaction force'."

For Caroline Lucas, Green MEP for South East England, the proposed
Constitution represented "a missed opportunity, because it fails the
European people. Its original intention was to simplify the EU and redefine
its areas of competence. But instead of allocating competences at the
appropriate levels it actually extends EU powers and makes the EU more
complicated. This is not what we need."


 Further information, interviews:
Green Party press office: 020 7561 0282
www.greenparty.org.uk/conference

 ENDS

>From Green Party press office. Published and promoted by Spencer Fitz-Gibbon
for The Green Party, both at 1a Waterlow Road, London N19 5NJ.