Letter to the Editor: EU treaty is no federal beast

Sir, Your leading article (“Unconstitutional”, June 20) falls into the perennial trap of viewing the EU negotiations in terms of “losing power”. However, the basis of co-operation with our European partners is to produce effective international action in areas such as climate change, energy security, world trade and counter-terrorism.

Many of the changes suggested in a likely treaty will be positive for decision-making in the EU. For instance, ending the rotating six-month presidency of the European Council will give the EU more continuity and cohesion. Meanwhile, the changes in the voting weights in the European Council, which link them proportionately to population, will increase the UK’s share by 45 per cent.

Furthermore, the UK’s share of a blocking vote will increase from 32 per cent under the present system to 35 per cent under a new treaty. In any case, if there is a proposal the UK does not like, the prospect of forming alliances to block it has been boosted by the accession of Central and Eastern Europe countries into the EU since 2004.

Moving further policy areas to majority voting should be viewed pragmatically, which was the approach that Prime Minister Thatcher adopted when relinquishing the British veto on single market legislation, because it was in the UK’s interests.

There are legitimate concerns about the proposed treaty for the business community, notably the legal status of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. But over all the EU treaty is not a federalist monster but a sensible attempt to improve its institutional machinery.

Roland Rudd (Chairman, Business for New Europe)
Lord Jay of Ewelme (Vice-Chair, Business for New Europe)
Sir Stephen Wall (Vice-Chair, Business for New Europe)