Saturday 26 February 2011

Cameron insists he is still 'in charge' - really?

ePolitix has a post on the above, a statement that probably is most incorrect in political history.

Bearing in mind this man, David Cameron - together with Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband - is content to accept membership of the European Union, perhaps it is pertinent to remind him of Articles 3-6 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU):
"Article 3
1. The Union shall have exclusive competence in the following areas:
(a) customs union;
(b) the establishing of the competition rules necessary for the functioning of the internal market;
(c) monetary policy for the Member States whose currency is the euro;
(d) the conservation of marine biological resources under the common fisheries policy;
(e) common commercial policy.
2. The Union shall also have exclusive competence for the conclusion of an international agreement when its conclusion is provided for in a legislative act of the Union or is necessary to enable the Union to exercise its internal competence, or in so far as its conclusion may affect common rules or alter their scope.


Article 4
1. The Union shall share competence with the Member States where the Treaties confer on it a competence which does not relate to the areas referred to in Articles 3 and 6.
2. Shared competence between the Union and the Member States applies in the following principal areas:
(a) internal market;
(b) social policy, for the aspects defined in this Treaty;
(c) economic, social and territorial cohesion;
(d) agriculture and fisheries, excluding the conservation of marine biological resources;
(e) environment;
(f) consumer protection;
(g) transport;
(h) trans-European networks;
(i) energy;
9.5.2008 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 115/51
(j) area of freedom, security and justice;
(k) common safety concerns in public health matters, for the aspects defined in this Treaty.
3. In the areas of research, technological development and space, the Union shall have competence to carry out activities, in particular to define and implement programmes; however, the exercise of that competence shall not result in Member States being prevented from exercising theirs.
4. In the areas of development cooperation and humanitarian aid, the Union shall have
competence to carry out activities and conduct a common policy; however, the exercise of that competence shall not result in Member States being prevented from exercising theirs.


Article 5
1. The Member States shall coordinate their economic policies within the Union. To this end, the Council shall adopt measures, in particular broad guidelines for these policies. Specific provisions shall apply to those Member States whose currency is the euro.
2. The Union shall take measures to ensure coordination of the employment policies of the Member States, in particular by defining guidelines for these policies.
3. The Union may take initiatives to ensure coordination of Member States' social policies.


Article 6
The Union shall have competence to carry out actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States. The areas of such action shall, at European level, be:
(a) protection and improvement of human health;
(b) industry;
(c) culture;
(d) tourism;
(e) education, vocational training, youth and sport;
C 115/52 EN Official Journal of the European Union 9.5.2008
(f) civil protection;
(g) administrative cooperation.
"
Perhaps Cameron - or anyone else - would care to point out one aspect of our national governance that the European Union does not have the power to dictate - or amend, if already introduced nationally?

And Cameron reckons he is 'in charge'? In the entertainment that passes for politics in our nation, he most certainly cannot fulfill the role of a 'Punch', so he must be 'Judy' - aka a punchbag.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

We are never going to get out of the EU short of a Libyan style bloody revolution, the ConLibLab consensus won't allow it. What we should do is ignore their more rediculus dictates, as France and many other members do.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

A: The first part of your statement may well happen, which would negate the second part.