From Greg Milam, Sky News Europe Correspondent

Does Brussels care?

As MPs argue over whether the UK should have a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon, I have to say the heart of Europe isn’t exactly gripped.

They’ve got used to a high level of Euro-sceptic noise coming from the UK here. They’re watching but with a slightly disdainful continental expression on their faces.

After all, Britain isn’t alone in debating whether the treaty is just the constitution under a different name.

The general view in Brussels is that the treaty will have exactly the same effect as the constitution would have.

BUT because it is packed with legal jargon and takes the form of an ‘amending treaty’ rather than grand constitutional words, it ISN’T a constitution.

The Danish government, which had also promised a referendum on the constitution, went to the lengths of commissioning a study on whether the new treaty would result in any handover of sovereignty.

‘No’ was the answer – so no referendum in Denmark.

The French people, who voted ‘No’ in 2005, weren’t even given a chance this time. The treaty was ratified by the parliament.

Ireland is the only country that will hold a referendum and that because they are obliged to by their own constitution.

The reality is that a referendum in the UK would probably reject the treaty, a fact Tony Blair openly acknowledged when he was Prime Minister.

Failure to ratify by any one of the 27 EU member states would leave the treaty dead in the water – and Europe effectively back to square one.

Then the whole process of finding a way forward would start again with severe doubts about whether Europe would ever reach agreement.

The prospect of Europe spending years and years more staring at its own navel, rather than getting on with what it should be doing, isn’t one relished by many Europe Correspondents.

Comments

[Mrs A Thorlin Batty Spain Mar 27, 2008 1:09:58 AM]

Yes of course the people of the UK should be allowed to vote in a referendum on this 'Treaty'. The EU is a democratic union is it not?
And, what if the treaty IS left dead in the water?
And, what exactly is it that 'Europe should be getting on with' but isn't being allowed to get on with without this treaty being ratified? please advise me Sky News correspondent.
Am I the only person that thinks that Europe already holds far too much power over us?

[Steve, Maidstone Mar 22, 2008 5:50:39 AM]

I want to see the Labour party ground into the dust for what they are doing to this country. It is a scandal.

[John, Ireland Mar 11, 2008 6:58:49 AM]

It looks like it is up to Ireland to stop this nonsense before it goes any further.

[Khalid Mar 6, 2008 3:37:03 AM]

Europes' problems have been created by Europe thus the very reason such treaties are not trusted. If I came into your home and told you, you have to paint your room green, and hang upside down, would you do it voluntarily? Exactly, and thats how the UK populus felt when the barmy EU banned Llbs & Oz's resulting in many a market trader loosing his daily bread. So, how about the EU president come online and clearly state that the treaty will not mean sovereign nations will loose their legal sovereign status or will that be to hard to accomplish? [I'm Still Waiting-DJ Sammy]. By the way, have you sorted your expense sheet out yet?????

[Tony, Berkshire Mar 5, 2008 8:45:36 AM]

On the one hand we love them on the other we love our independance from them. With a sell out of this magnitude it would not surprise me if the eventual rebound from the british public does more damage to our EU relations, than any referendum could ever do.

[Madnurse Mar 5, 2008 2:27:49 AM]

"..The reality is that a referendum in the UK would probably reject the treaty, a fact Tony Blair openly acknowledged when he was Prime Minister."

So if the PM of the day knew that the majority of the people in a democracy were opposed to the treaty, why would he push it through. Is this not the work of a dictator? What happened to democracy?
Does Nanny really know best?

What I can't understand is this, why are so many of our politicians so keen to push this onto our nation? What is in it for them?

The former USSR states and China have all but abandoned socialism/communism in favour of capitalism because the former do not work, why are we going backwards?

The UK has become a metaphor for the EUSSR, as in the EU, the costs of our government are rising, less and less notice is taken of the people by politicians, there is more and more interference through regulation in our lives and the administration costs of running the circus are increasing at an alarming rate with no real improvement or tangible product at the end.

Today will be a sad day for our once great nation as we become a region of the EUSSR.
Words cannot express how angry and dissappointed I am by the traitorous actions of our politicians.