Tony Bennett

Apologies if the full text of the controversial 'Bucharest Declaration' has been posted elsewhere on the Forum, but I've only just received this.

It seems broadly in line with the Conservative Party's policy on the European Union.

I've opened a new thread as the previous one on the 'Sunday Times' news article has gone off at a few tangents:

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Joint Declaration of The Independence/Democracy Group in the European Parliament (IND/DEM Group) and The National Initiative Party (NIP)

- Having regard to their respective political programmes;

- Having regard to the United Nation’s Declaration of Human Rights;

- Having regard to the wishes, interests and concerns of the people we represent as political parties and movements;

Agree to combine their efforts and resources in campaigning:

1) Against the ratification of the Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe;

2) For a referendum in each European Union’s Member State on any new Treaty drawing on the original text of the so-called Constitution for Europe;

3) For a real subsidiarity principle to be respected as the indispensable condition of sound democratic decision-making in the European Union;

4) For transparency and accountability in the management of European Union’s own resources – the money of citizens and taxpayers of the European Union’s Member States;

5) For equal treatment of all citizens of European Union’s Member States and against discrimination of new Member States;

6) For reform of the Common Agricultural Policy in the interest of taxpayers, consumers, farmers, and the farming communities;

7) For the respect of specific national cultures, languages, and traditions that convey European heritage to future generations and the whole World;

Eight) For the right of European Union’s Member States to remain sovereign in fiscal matters [er, what about other matters? - T.B.] and to subject introduction of the common currency Euro to a national referendum;

9) For free access to information on any European Union’s funded activity and run information campaigns in Member States and outside of the Union;

10) For balanced representation of proponents and opponents of European federalist integration process at Union’s funded conferences, seminars, and any other debates about the future institutional setting of the Union and its policies;

Signed on behalf of the IND/DEM Group by:

Mr Jens-Peter BONDE, Co-President;
Mrs Kathy SINNOTT, Vice-President;
Mr Nils LUNDGREN, Vice-President;
Mrs Hélène GOUDIN, Member;
Mr Patrick LOUIS, Member;
Mr Derek R. CLARK, Member;

Signed on behalf of the NIP by:
Mr Cozmin GUSA, President;
Mrs Lavinia SANDRU, Vice-President;

Bucharest, April 17th, 2007.

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brian lee

This is a golden opportunity for those of probity in his region to publicly disassociate UKIP from Clark and reiterate the principles upon which UKIP was founded and the 2004 manifesto, ' NO to the Europen Union', upon which he was elected. They don't need him.

Tom Wilde

A very minor storm in a very small teacup.

UKIP's aim - enshrined in its Constitution - is for outright British withdrawal from the EU.

Nothing in this Bucharest document undermines that aim or waters it down in any way. Once Britain is out of the EU (and it will happen, sooner or later), then we will have the EU as a vast neighbour on our doorstep. It is in our own future interest - as well as a duty to our fellow human beings - to try to help ensure that the EU is run as democratically and locally as possible.

I don't believe it even in principle could be reformed in such a way as to make me want Britain stay in the EU. But it could be better or worse run, and some parties in Ind&Dem want to stay in and help it be better run. Good luck to them, and it doesn't do us any harm to boost their cause so long as it doesn't distract from our own central aim.