Broadland Liberal Democrats

Following the agreement on the fiscal treaty by the heads of government of 25 member states, the heads of the three leading pro-Europe organisations have petitioned the European Parliament. The petition by the Presidents of the Union of European Federalists (UEF), the Young European Federalists (JEF-Europe) and the European Movement International (EMI) asks the European Parliament to use its newLisbontreaty powers to initiate a further revision of the European Union treaties with the objective of creating a full fiscal union with a reformed financial system. Andrew Duff MEP, President of UEF, said: "The intergovernmental treaty is a necessary expedient to bypass the British veto, but it does not install the fiscal solidarity needed to save the euro in the long run. Nor does it help resolve problems surrounding theUnion's political legitimacy. "We call on the Parliament to act to use its full powers to initiate the next steps in European construction". Pauline Gessant, JEF-Europe President said: "The response goes in the right direction but is insufficient to address the present challenges decisively. Furthermore we strongly regret the old-style "behind-closed-doors" negotiations and the intergovernmental supremacy of the European Council. The European unification process must involve citizens and their representatives and be discussed in a transparent and democratic way". Jo Leinen MEP, President of the EMI, added: "The next steps of European Integration must be done with the participation of the Citizens Chambers - the European Parliament and the National Parliaments - and not through intergovernmental negotiations. The method for changing and improving the European Treaties must be a new Convention and not a series of EU Summits." Members of all three organisations will now add their signatures to the petition. END The petition can be found here http://andrewduff.eu/en/document/petitions/eu-federal-union-petition Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

'Europe is nearing its federal moment - the time to decide on whether it wishes to become more united or not. The growth of the federal movement in Lithuania is therefore greatly to be welcomed'- he said. On 3 February Mr Andrew Duff, the president of Union of European Federalists (UEF), attended the constitutive meeting of a branch of UEF in Lithuania. The meeting, which took place in the Lithuanian parliament, was widely covered by the national media and was attended by a large group of the organization?s founders, among which there are a number of MPs, academics and other well-known figures. Speaking at the meeting Mr Duff said the blue European flag could be seen on the streets of Lithuania already in 1990. According to Mr Duff, the Lithuanian Independence movement was progressive and forward-looking from the very beginning. The president of UEF also criticized the way the current euro crisis is being dealt with at the European level. ?The new compact on fiscal discipline tackles only one side of the problem, namely the lack of fiscal discipline. But the current crisis cannot be solved without greater fiscal solidarity, which is not foreseen in the treaty?. During the meeting Mr Petras Au?trevi?ius, a liberal MP, was elected as the new president of the organization. Mr Au?trevi?ius stressed that the European Union today faces very significant challenges. ?We see very clearly today that the EU as a political-economic entity is still in the making. I have no doubt that closer integration in the EU is a wise decision and at the same time ? one of the main goals which should be sought by Lithuania?, - he said. The initiator of the movement in Lithuania, Mr Rokas Grajauskas, expressed his satisfaction that in a very short time it was possible to find so many pro-European people. On the other hand, the new organization has already been heavily criticized by the nationalist groups in the country. Mr Grajauskas nevertheless said he hopes the Lithuanian society will be resilient to superficial anti-European populism, which attempts to ?frighten people that Europe will take away their identity, culture and customs?. ?It is not a coincidence that in the opening part of our constitutive resolution we say that the European Union, on the contrary, is the guarantor of the cultural identity of European nations. The principle ?united in diversity? is not only an empty slogan but a defining principle of European integration?, - he said. The constitutive resolution, adopted during the meeting, outlines in detail the principles and values of UEF Lithuania, as well as its tenets in the institutional, economic and military areas. The resolution also addresses the current euro crisis and expresses the need for deeper economic-fiscal integration by creating collective euro bonds and increasing the autonomous EU budget. At the same time the resolution calls for the need to strenghten the common military capabilities of the EU, which would be employed to defend EU?s territory. UEF Lithuania has already seen the support of politicians from different political factions. It will be the first such organization in the Baltic states. END Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Reacting to the European Council Conclusions on Growth this evening, Guy Verhofstadt, President of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament said: "EU leaders have failed in the only area where they could have made concrete progress today. Instead of decisive action they again chose procrastination. After 40 years of waiting, an agreement was found last year on a European patent but we still have to wait another six months for Member States to agree on the seat of the court causing further delay and costing jobs across the Union at a crucial moment." "Ten years ago when a similar disagreement persisted between Italy and Finland on the location of the food agency, it was provisionally set up in Brussels until a decision was finally reached A similar practical solution should be possible today." EP should be fully associated with treaty negotiations In response to the exclusion of the European Parliament from the final stage of treaty negotiations between the Heads of State and Government, Verhofstadt added: "It is deplorable that the EP was excluded from the final negotiations on the new treaty, having been fully associated and contributing actively and constructively to the text for the past month. During the last treaty negotiation in Lisbon, the EP President and its representatives were present with the Heads of State and Government." Andrew Duff (UK Lib Dem), ALDE constitutional affairs spokesperson added that "this treaty is expedient but nobody can be proud of it. Mr Cameron should tell the world precisely what he finds in the treaty to object to." ENDS Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

A pan-European constituency with transnational lists for European Parliament elections is among the proposals put forward by the Constitutional Affairs Committee on Thursday. MEPs called on the Council and the Commission to join in negotiations to reform the EU electoral system so as to boost voter turnouts. The fall in EP election turnouts since 1979 (from 63% to 43% in 2009) "obliges the Parliament, Commission and Council to take action to promote popular participation", says the committee, which approved a report draft by Andrew Duff (ALDE, UK), calling for a reform of the current EU electoral system, with 17 votes in favour and 7 against, "A radical change in electoral procedure will increase turnout, enhance the European dimension of the election campaign and galvanise the development of European political parties", said Mr Duff. Pan-European list A pan-European list, composed of candidates drawn from at least one third of the Member States, is the key proposal approved. From this list, 25 MEPs would be elected, while all others would continue to be chosen through national lists. Distribution of EP seats: yes to dialogue with European Council The committee agreed to enter into negotiations with the European Council to set up a fair and transparent system to distribute EP seats among EU countries. An amendment proposing a mathematical formula to do that was instead rejected. The committee finally agreed that the date of the European elections should be determined one year before the end of the five-year legislative term. The adopted text is a proposal re-drafted by Mr Duff, after a plenary debate in July 2011 showed divisions among political groups. Committee on Constitutional Affairs In the chair: Carlo Casini (EPP, IT) Procedure: non-legislative resolution REF. : 20120123IPR35996 Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

The Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) today adopted by a large majority (17 votes against 7 and 1 abstention) the report of Andrew DUFF (LibDem, UK) to amend the European electoral system. The symbolic element of the report consists of 25 deputies elected in a single European constituency on the basis of transnational lists. Andrew Duff, ALDE coordinator in AFCO, said: "This report is the result of a compromise but a compromise useful for the emergence of an EU-wide democracy. Now every citizen will have two ballots in hand. He can vote for his/her national list and for a transnational list to further strengthen his preference. This being said, I hope his preference will be for pro-Europeans MEPs. This system will also require a review of the allocation of seats in Parliament so that the demographic reality of the EU, calculated by Eurostat before each election, is given more consideration. " Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE group leader and member of the AFCO Committee, said: "Now the ball is in the Council's court. The election of transnational deputies clearly meets a need to further politicise the European debate. Europe needs politicians who are fully committed to the emergence of a political union. Member states have to take their responsibility: Do they want to see the emergence of a European participatory democracy or do they prefer to retain a system that promotes confrontation between nation states ? " After approval by plenary (possibly in March), the report amending the 1976 Act on Election of Members of European Parliament by universal suffrage will be forwarded to the Council under the relevant TEU Article. Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Today in the Constitutional Affairs Committee a tied vote (11-11) meant that no decision was taken on Andrew Duff's report which recommended that the EU does not agree to the request of the former government of the Czech Republic to add a Protocol on the Charter to the Treaty of Lisbon. The Czech Protocol was conceived in 2009 in order to persuade President Klaus to sign the Lisbon treaty. Mr Duff argues that an identical Protocol signed by the UK and Poland is a spurious and futile instrument which sows legal uncertainty and political confusion. He is supported in this view by the European Court of Justice and by the Czech Senate which threatens not to ratify the Czech Protocol. Although all amendments to the Duff Report were defeated, the fact that there is no final majority for the report means that Parliament has yet to give its opinion to the European Council as it is required to do under Article 48(2) of the Treaty on European Union on any treaty revision. In a statement after the Committee meeting rapporteur Andrew Duff (ALDE/UK) said: "We now face a legal riddle. There is no majority in the House either in favour or against the Czech Protocol. But without an opinion of the Parliament on the matter and in the absence of an associated decision by Parliament on whether to agree to the European Council's request not to summon a Convention on the matter, the heads of government cannot legally proceed to examine the draft Protocol. "At least the Charter is saved for the moment from a further effort to qualify it. That is good news." END The full text of the Duff Report can be found at http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/afco/pr/886/886583/886583en.pdf Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

At meetings in Barcelona on Friday and Saturday (20-21 January), the European federalists took a stance on the emerging intergovernmental treaty on fiscal discipline. The UEF took note of the circumstances which led up to the drafting of a new treaty outside the framework of the European Union, but welcomed the fact that the British bluff had been called and their veto by-passed. Several problematical issues in the 4th draft of the treaty were noted, including the problem of discordance with the official EU structure and treaty-based criteria. In the view of UEF, the new treaty does not address the critical problem of sovereign debt and is therefore only one further step towards what must be done to salvage the euro and to begin economic recovery. Andrew Duff MEP, President of the UEF, said: "For all its complications, the new treaty does contain some features which federalists can welcome warmly. These are that it goes further than the Six Pack in terms of budgetary discipline; it commits to the greater use of enhanced cooperation among the eurozone; it will enter into force before all signatory states have ratified it; and it is to be incorporated into the EU treaty within five years. "What Europe now needs, however, is a draft treaty on fiscal union run by a federal economic government. For this reason the UEF has decided to petition the European Parliament to use its new constitutional powers to initiate this next decisive step." END Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Andrew Duff (ALDE/UK), who is Parliament's rapporteur on electoral reform, has triggered a revision of the Parliament's own rules for its internal elections. He has written to newly-elected President Schulz to propose a change to the Single Transferable Vote (STV). In his letter to the President, Duff says: "STV would allow Members to express their order of preference for candidates and would considerably speed up the election of the Bureau. Under STV no vote is wasted. STV is a much more sophisticated form of election than the simple agglomeration of equal preferences which we use at the moment. "STV is in fact ideal for use in a small, well integrated and highly political institution such as ours." Andrew Duff, who is Liberal spokesman on constitutional affairs, adds: "The spectacle of the European Parliament spending nearly three days to fill up its own Bureau is faintly ridiculous. It is also depressing that MEPs cannot express priorities under the present system, but only crude support or opposition to a slate of candidates. "I hope that our reforming President Martin Schulz will agree to expedite this reform as fast as possible." END Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Andrew Duff, Lib Dem Euro-MP for Cambridgeshire welcomed the decision of the County Council to invest in the renewable energy infrastructure across the county. The EU grant of £800,000 will be geared to help provide over £18 million of investment across the County. The EU-funded project Mobilising Local Energy Investments in Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough will set up delivery vehicles to manage the scale of infrastructure delivery above, including an energy services company that can commission, design, build and manage new energy generating schemes (community scale and larger), and a special purpose vehicle to support delivery of large scale retrofit in public assets which will reduce their costs of operation. Mr Duff said 'The investment of EU funding to upgrade Cambridgeshire's renewable energy infrastructure will help ensure that the switch to a low carbon economy has Cambridgeshire at the forefront.' Ends Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

BASF have announced that they are to relocate their plant science research hub from Europe to theUnited States. Lib Dem Euro-MP Andrew Duff says he regrets the decision of a leading European Science Companies to move to theUSA. Mr Duff said "Until we intensify research into GM we will be unable as a society to take informed decisions about the future of plant biotechnology. GM science offers the prospect of long-term solutions to problems of disease, drought, nutrition and food insecurity." "For Europeans to leave the hard science to the rest of the world is a big strategic mistake. Prejudice against genetic modification of any kind displays a kind of NIMBYISM which is detrimental to science and does not contribute to a higher level of public debate." "I hope the many successful bio-scientists in the East of England will not be tempted by BASF's removal to up-sticks for Asia andAmerica." Ends Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Today, Euro MPs voted at Strasbourg in favour of putting in place stricter rules on the composition of fruit juices and ensure companies stick to stricter labelling guidelines. The aim of today's Fruit Juice directive is to improve the quality of drinks available across the European Union and will make sure you know exactly which juices contain extra sugar or sweeteners. Andrew Duff, local Lib Dem Euro-MP said the legislation was good example of all EU countries working together. He said: "For many consumers with health issues such as diabetes and allergies it is vitally important to clearly state what has been put in their drinks. "I am delighted that in the future it will be prohibited to put extra sugar in drinks labelled as fruit juice. "And it will no longer be possible to market a product on the basis of only a minor ingredient if the juice is actually made up of a completely different fruit. No more apples disguised as strawberries!" The new rules will come into force after a transition period of 18 months and will apply to all juice products regardless of whether they are produced in the EU or imported from elsewhere. ENDS Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Following the outcome of the euro-summit last night, Andrew Duff MEP believes that the formation of 'EU 2' and the prospect of a new treaty should start the process of stabilising the markets and saving the euro. He deplores, however, the decision of the UK government not to participate. In a statement this morning (Friday), Duff says: "The euro-summit appears to have laid the foundations for a new start for the euro. Agreement on the fiscal compact, on introducing reverse QMV for the excessive deficit procedure, on building stronger economic governance for common economic policy and on improving and accelerating the European Stability Mechanism are precisely what are needed to stabilise the markets and to begin to restore democratic confidence. "The new treaty will give birth to what we might call'EU 2'- a federal economic government of a fiscal union. But the gearing between the newUnionand the old will be a very delicate matter. It is vital that the role of the European Commission and Court of Justice are equivalent in both EU 1 and EU 2, and that the integrity of the corpus of EU law is preserved. "There must be no question that EU 2 can be cast in a neo-Gaullist mould in which the Commission would be sub-contracted to do secretarial services for the euro-summits. The Commission must remain the motor of government." Deploring the decision of the UK government not to partake in this qualitative step in European integration, Duff added: "Mr Cameron has reached the logical conclusion of Tory policy which is to retireBritainto a second class membership ofEurope. This will be hugely damaging to the British national interest, including the interests of the City ofLondonwhich the prime minister purports to wish to advance. "It is perverse to blame other countries for not wishing to cooperate with theUK, when it is theUKwhich has opted out of the euro and so many other aspects of life in the European Union. "One is reminded all too clearly of Messina Conference in 1956 which the British left in a huff but which led eventually to the foundation of the European Economic Community. When theUKeventually joined up, more than 15 years later, it found the EEC was not perfectly designed to suit British interests." On the next steps, Duff says: "The European Parliament will need somehow to be involved in the new Intergovernmental Conference which will now draft the EU 2 treaty. I will be consulting with colleagues in the next days to see how this might best be done. "EU 2 must be born with full democratic legitimacy." END Andrew Duff is spokesman on constitutional affairs for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), co-chair of the Parliament's Federalist Intergroup 'Spinelli' and President of the Union of European Federalists. Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Reacting to the publication by Herman Van Rompuy of his Interim Report Towards a Stronger Economic Union, Andrew Duff MEP said: "Much of what President Van Rompuy says is good and useful. It amounts to a distinct improvement both economically and politically to the distress signals sent on Monday fromParisby President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel. "But Mr Van Rompuy's first proposed option which is to avoid serious treaty change and to rely on the fast-track procedure to amend Protocol No 12 is fraught with difficulty. "For one thing, the Protocol is about the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure (Article 126(14) first sentence TFEU), and not about the excessive deficit procedure itself (which is laid down in earlier provisions of Article 126). "The existing Protocol leaves the detail of the implementing procedures up to national discretion:'The Member States shall ensure that national procedures in the budgetary area enable them to meet their obligations in this area deriving from these Treaties'(Article 3 of the Protocol). "Yet what Mr Van Rompuy proposes in paragraph 10 of his report is a major departure from the style and substance of the existing Protocol. He proposes the radical intervention by the EU into the constitutional order of member states ‑ including the compulsory installation of the'golden rule'under the oversight of the European Court of Justice, automatic correction mechanisms and central reporting. "It is difficult to see how political and institutional reforms of such importance can be carried within a Protocol which is currently of a rather technical nature. In particular, I very much doubt that an extension of the functions of the Court of Justice can be made by such a light constitutional procedure without risking the possibility of a legal challenge. "Lastly, Mr Van Rompuy is brave to say in paragraph 12 of his report that the Council decision to replace Protocol No 12 'does not require ratification at national level'. Any self-respecting national parliament would certainly wish to vote on whether to endorse such an important decision of its own government: several national parliaments, including the Bundestag, have rules which oblige them to do so. (There is a resonance here of the simplified revision procedure (Article 48(6) TEU) which requires even a modest treaty amendment to be'approved by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements'.) So the ratification of a new Protocol No 12 will not be as straightforward as Mr Van Rompuy appears to believe. "All in all, I am dissuaded of the viability of the Protocol No 12 route and much prefer Mr van Rompuy's second proposed option of a full-scale treaty change leading to credible economic government of a fiscal union fully legitimised and enriched in its preparation by a democratic Convention." END Andrew Duff is spokesman on constitutional affairs for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), co-chair of the Parliament's Federalist Intergroup 'Spinelli' and President of the Union of European Federalists Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Reacting to Monday's meeting between President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel, UEF President Andrew Duff MEP says that in the absence of credible leadership from the summit a large responsibility falls to the European Parliament. Duff is concerned that the group leaders are not willing to assert Parliament's constitutional rights over treaty change or to protect the 'Community method' in the field of economic governance. In a statement today (Tuesday), Duff said: "The Paris summit succeeded only in disguising the deep division between France and Germany on the question of the EU's fiscal model and on the type and force of economic government. "While we can welcome some convergence about the automaticity of the excessive deficit procedure and the imposition of the 'golden rule', as well as the speeding up of the installation of the European Stability Mechanism, the lack of agreement elsewhere is staggering. "We are more than ever convinced that radical treaty change is needed to extend EU competence in the field of fiscal policy, to modify the functions of both the European Central Bank and the European Court of Justice, and to change the decision-making procedures in Ecofin with respect to financial discipline. "Attempts by the heads of government to use Protocol 12 on the excessive deficit procedure as the basis for a new form of economic government will be in vain and should be immediately desisted. Article 126(14) TFEU allows the Protocol to be replaced by a special law of the Council, acting by unanimity after having consulted the Parliament and the ECB. But the provisions of the Protocol cannot supersede or overturn the other provisions of the Article 126 which have primacy. "Nor can Protocol 12 be used to increase the powers of the ECJ. And Article 136 will have to be changed to install 'debt brakes' across the eurozone. "Instead of going into contortions to avoid serious treaty change, the European Council should bite the bullet and invite Parliament to call for a Convention to prepare an IGC. Only a deep, pluralistic and transparent debate on these matters between all relevant stakeholders, including national parliaments, will produce optimum results." Andrew Duff, who is a British Liberal Democrat MEP and spokesman on constitutional affairs for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), added: "For the sake of the integrity of the legal order of the Union, constitutional development of this importance must be done by all 27 member states. The euro is the currency of the Union and all member states except the UK are enjoined by treaty to join the single currency when convergence criteria are met. The motivation behind the creation of the euro is exactly the same today and as good as it was originally: what has changed is the imperative of installing stronger government of fiscal and economic policies. "An intergovernmental treaty of the eurozone alone outside the Union framework would be most likely to breach the Lisbon treaty. Do we all want to end up in Court over our constitution while the euro is in peril? "In any case, unanimous agreement on going it alone among the current 17 eurozone members look highly improbable. "So the European Parliament must be much clearer and firmer about its duty of care to the common interest of all our citizens and all taxpayers. Fiscal solidarity requires strong democratic government forged deliberately in a Convention. The last thing we need is more tinkering at the edges by desperate national leaders." END Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

The first public proposals for the new Convention on economic governance were launched today by Euro-MP Andrew Duff. In a statement, Duff said: "It is time to stop avoiding some tough questions about the why, when and how of EU treaty change. If the European Union is to be saved it needs a strong economic government. This means delicate treaty change prepared by a good Convention. "Here is an ambitious but feasible agenda for the Convention. The intention would be to run the Convention from March to September, and to work intensively to produce a firm consensus on the conferral of fiscal competences on theUnionand on the legal and political nature of economic governance. "A high priority will be to reach agreement on how the EU's new fiscal and economic policies will strike a balance between stability and growth on the one hand, and solidarity and discipline, on the other. Duff, who is spokesman on constitutional affairs for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and President of the Union of European Federalists (UEF), added: "Executive authority will be shared between Commission and Council, but with the Commission in the driving seat. I propose a single legal framework based on the Treaty of Lisbon, and will strongly resist the temptation of a freelance intergovernmental treaty outside the EU-framework. "The Convention must also tackle the problem of how to ensure ratification of the new Treaty." END A CONVENTION AGENDA ECONOMIC GOVERNMENT Article 15 TEU (a) Codify establishment of biannual euro summits; (b) allow participation of new Treasury Secretary-Vice President (TSVP) in European Council; (c) give chair of European Council to Commission President Article 17 TEU (a) Promote Commission Vice-President responsible for economic & monetary affairs into Treasury Secretary (TSVP); (b) elect TSVP (and HRVP) individually by Parliament in same way as Commission President; (c) give Commission President the chairmanship of European Council Article 5 TFEU Amend to establish common EU economic and fiscal government, with specific provisions for eurozone [1] Article 122 TFEU Widen to allow emergency financial aid to any EU state Article 123(1) TFEU (a) Modify to lift prohibition on ECB to extend credit to states ('lender of last resort'); (b) give new powers for ECB to authorise issuance of eurobonds Article 125 TFEU Modify to allow mutualisation of sovereign debt ('co-responsibility'), and to set conditionality criteria and limitations Article 126(6) TFEU Change Council decision-making on excessive deficit procedure to reverse QMV Article 126(7) TFEU (a) Change Commission recommendation to correct excessive deficit to proposal; (b) change Council decision making procedure to reverse QMV; (c) allow publication of decision at that stage Article 126(9) TFEU Consequential amendment to reflect revisions to Articles 126(6) & (7) Article 126(10) TFEU Modify to widen jurisdiction of ECJ over fiscal policy Article 126(12) TFEU Consequential amendments Article 126(13) TFEU Consequential amendments Article 136 TFEU Widen to enjoin eurozone states to install constitutional 'debt brakes' Article 139a (new) TFEU Modify Parliament's procedures to allow for Eurogroup tax laws to be made by Eurogroup MEPs Protocol No 4 on Statute of ECB Add to tasks of ECB (Article 3) Protocol No 12 on Excessive Deficit Consequential amendments Protocol No 14 on Eurogroup (a) Formalise Council formation of Eurogroup; (b) add specific new powers over eurozone taxation; (c) give chair of Eurogroup ministers to TSVP POLITICAL LEGITIMACY Article 14(2) TEU (a) Modify composition of Parliament to include pan-EU constituency for some MEPs and (b) to establish a mathematical formula for seat apportionment [2] Article 33 TEU Add political deputies for HRVP Article 48 (4) & (5) TEU Permit entry into force of any treaty amendment once it is ratified by fewer than all states (say, four fifths) [3] Article 49a (new) TEU Establish a new category of associate membership for states not willing to accept federal union Article 194(2) TFEU Widen EU competence over national choices in energy supply Article 275 TFEU Widen ECJ jurisdiction over operational aspects of CFSP Article 285 TFEU Reduce the size of Court of Auditors Article 311 TFEU Super QMV for reform of the system of own resources, with entry into force once ratified by fewer than all states [4] Article 312(2) TFEU Super QMV for MFF and abolition of passerelle [5] Protocol No 6 on seats of institutions Amend to give Parliament the right to decide on its own locations and schedule Protocol No 7 on Privileges & Immunities (1965)[6] Modernise privileges & immunities regime Act on Direct Elections (1976)[7] Modify to introduce pan-European constituency elected from transnational party lists AND 30-11-11 [1] For example, replace 'The Member States shall coordinate their economic policies within the Union" with "The Union shall coordinate the economic policies of the Member States". [2] Duff Report [3] Needs also a Decision of heads of government meeting in the European Council to implement in the first instance [4] Needs also a Decision of heads of government meeting in the European Council to implement in time for 2014 [5] QMV passerelle clause needs to be implemented in time for 2014 [6] Duff Report [7] Duff Report Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Andrew Duff MEP, President of the Union of European Federalists, has called for Chancellor Merkel to practice what she preaches and respect the Community method. In a statement today, Duff said: "Angela Merkel should read, digest and open a discussion on the Commission's Green Paper on eurobonds instead of dismissing it with contempt. It is the Commission's job to take political initiatives - and the European Parliament has demanded that the Commission should act in this way. "Until the Germans manage to agree on a credible alternative plan to stabilise the eurozone, they should stop blocking initiatives from others. The fact is that the German bund market has stalled and unless there is a serious political decision to mutualise sovereign debt across the EU, the euro is finished. "The ECB must be freed from constraint to act to do whatever it takes to shore up failing banks. Treaty change and constitutional decisions need to be put in place. A key element of the package is to move progressively towards the creation of a fiscal union run by a federal economic government. In all this German participation is critical. Angela Merkel has her chance to save European unity or to ruin it". END Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Andrew Duff, Lib Dem MEP for the East of England today voted in favour of a co-ordinated EU strategy to secure a healthy honeybee population and tackle challenges in the beekeeping sector. Recent increases in bee mortality and a declining number of beekeepers acrossEuropecould threaten food production and security, environmental sustainability and biodiversity if left unchecked. An estimated 84% of plant species and 76% of food production in Europe are dependent on pollination by bees. Highlighting the mutual dependency of beekeeping and biodiversity, Andrew Duff has called for increased funding for honeybee-health related research, in particular in veterinary medical products, and better information sharing and training for beekeepers across the EU. "The first step to tackle the problem of Europe's disappearing bees is to start collecting reliable data and improve research into current bee health problems and provide incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new medicines for bees. "As such, we need co-ordinated action across Europein the field of research, information sharing, veterinary treatment, and the recruitment and training of young beekeepers." ENDS Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Reacting to a call yesterday by Mr Ed Miliband, Leader of the British Labour Party, for a crisis summit meeting this weekend, Andrew Duff MEP said: "Mr Miliband's call for a panic meeting of the European Council shows he knows next to nothing about the European Union and crisis management. Indeed, it is daft. The fact is that it is the recent series of failed and frustrated meetings of the European Council which has led directly to the total loss of market confidence in the leadership of the EU. "The heads of government have proved themselves incapable of cogent action to restore stability in the eurozone. More lectures from the sidelines by semi-detached British politicians are not helping theUnion. People are rightly bored of those British who are so keen to pronounce on the future of Europe without willing the means for theUnionto get there". Mr Duff, who is spokesman on constitutional affairs for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and President of the Union of European federalists, added: "We need clear proposals from the European institutions for the short, medium and long term. The several elements of reform which require treaty change should be put for the deliberation of a constitutional Convention. This Convention, which should start as soon as March, will doubtless include a member of Mr Miliband's party. We look forward to their contribution". END Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

The European Council has a profound duty to save the European Union. Only a real step towards federal economic government will secure its future. This is the message of the Union of European Federalists. In a statement today (Sunday) UEF President Andrew Duff said: "There has seldom been a more critical week in the history of the European Union. At the end of it we will know if the national leaders have the courage and vision to deepen political integration or not. "The European Council must rise to the occasion and give the eurozone a convergence programme to transform it into a fiscal union backed by solidarity among tax-payers and steered by a federal economic government. "This new style government must be based on a streamlined executive, now divided incoherently between the European Commission, European Council and Eurogroup. "Decision making in a fiscal union where redistribution of wealth is the norm cannot be done by unanimity. The new style government needs powers to coerce errant governments - large and small - into fiscal rectitude. Commission decisions should only be able to be blocked by a qualified majority vote of the Council. There must be weighted voting in the EFSF and ESM to reflect the economic disparity between eurozone states. The Commission needs new powers to protect the interests and advance the structural reform of the poorer peripheral members of the eurozone, including the faculty of a treasury. "There is a silly discussion going on about what needs to be done now and what can be put off till later. The fact is that everything has to be agreed now and executed quickly if market and democratic confidence is to be restored. The convergence menu includes: saving Greece within the eurozone, recapitalisation of the systemic banks, enhancement of the EFSF and ESM and their full integration within the EU system, turning Euro Plus Pact into a legislative package of solidarity, stability and competitiveness, launching EU project bonds to leverage private investment into enterprises, enabling the proper reform of the financial system of the EU by removing the national veto, issuing eurobonds ('stability bonds') up to 60% of sovereign debt. "Some of this can be done within the Treaty of Lisbon. But by no means all. So radical treaty change is unavoidable. It is also a very delicate operation, not least in crafting the new relationship in legal and institutional terms between a federal core and an outer circle. "A group of wise persons should be established this week in order to prepare the way to treaty revision. It should be charged to draft the mandate and suggest a timetable of a new constitutional Convention made up of prime ministers, MEPs, MPs and the Commission. "The Convention must address the problem of the popular legitimacy of the EU institutions as well as the installation of economic government. It needs to do two other things: modify the entry into force provisions so that the new treaty can enter into force before all states have ratified it; introduce a new category of associate membership of the EU. "This is Europe's federal moment. History will condemn us if we miss it. And the EU will sink into global irrelevance and a long economic depression." END/ Andrew Duff is Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for the East of England and Spokesman on Constitutional Affairs for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). He has been President of the UEF since 2008. Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

The government's new Enterprise Zones must not be allowed to accept retail trade displaced from town and city centres. That was the unanimous conclusion of a debate at the annual conference of East of England Liberal Democrats gathered in Cambridge on Saturday. The motion was moved by Euro MP Andrew Duff. Following the vote, Duff said: "Liberal Democrats support the idea of the Enterprise Zones offering lower tax and less regulation to small and medium-sized companies. We want the occupants of these Zones to be made up exclusively of firms dedicated to high added value, low-carbon activities with a determination to grow. "What is not acceptable is that these Zones will repeat past mistakes and suck retailers out of town and city centres, with the inevitable consequences of social deprivation and civic decline." The East of England is to have three Enterprise Zones at Alconbury, Harlow and Great Yarmouth-Lowestoft. Duff said the Lib Dem conference welcomed the setting up of the three Zones, but not without reservations. "Lib Dems want the new Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs), which will oversee the Zones, to take a tough stand and refuse easy options in choosing which companies will move into the Zones. The LEPs have a certain discretionary power in this matter which they must use to the full, in consultation with local authorities. But the role of the LEPs inevitably raises questions about their democratic legitimacy: one day this issue will have to be tackled." END Published and promoted by Andrew Duff MEP, (Tim Huggan), Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0PP Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY