European choices for Gordon Brown, EurActiv.com, 6 July 2007
European
choices for Gordon Brown
UK Prime Minster
Gordon Brown should work to dispel the 'demonic myths' that have 'poisoned'
Britain’s relationship with the EU,
a new Centre for European Reform (CER) publication claims.
Published on EurActiv.com, 6 July 2007
Gordon Brown should
seek to maintain and strengthen British influence in the Union, as his decisions
will have a major impact on the course that the EU takes, the authors argue.
The disappearance
of Blair, Chirac and Schröder from the scene means that permanent fissures
in the European landscape – over Iraq and much else – are now history,
the authors argue. Enlargement has changed the dynamics of EU politics in the
UK's favour, they believe. Ten years of a Labour government have left the UK
with strong foundations for its European policy, and Brown's government is well-placed
to strengthen the UK's position in the EU.
The EU is changing
fast in ways that suit Britain, giving Brown a chance to share the leadership
of Europe, reshape the way in which the EU works, and transform Britain's own
European debate, the CER booklet claims. It argues that Britain should pursue
a strategy of constructive engagement in Europe, under a new rationale of dealing
with issues such as climate change, energy security, illegal immigration and
international terrorism at European level. Such a strategy would not only improve
Britain's reputation in Europe, but also Europe's reputation in Britain, the
authors claim.
Brown has a golden
opportunity to work with Merkel, Sarkozy and Barroso in shaping the future of
EU politics, states the booklet – as all four are Atlanticist, lean towards
economic liberalism, and are pragmatic in their approach to the EU institutions.
However, he will come under strong pressure from a resurgent Conservative Party
and much of the press to block a new EU treaty, the authors observe.
The booklet reaches
a number of conclusions:
First, a post-Blair
European policy should continue to solidly support EU enlargement and economic
liberalisation, offer leadership in European defence, and pursue a non-ideological
approach to institutions.
Second, Brown
should seek to enhance British influence in setting the EU agenda and shaping
its decisions. Specifically, the authors suggest that the UK should place
a greater emphasis on the Union's role in tackling climate change, work to
ensure the EU makes a stronger effort to forge effective foreign policies
on the Middle East and Russia, and push for more co-operation among law-enforcement
agencies. Its size, the strength of its economy, the quality of its officials
and ministers, and the influence of British-based media – such as the
Economist, the BBC, Reuters and the Financial Times – make it well-placed
to do this, they argue.
Third, they
add that the UK should welcome greater use of "variable geometry"
in EU institutional arrangements, work to find new ways of binding neighbours
to the Union more closely, and collaborate with Sarkozy's France in building
an EU that is friendly to the US and offers practical help in dealing with
global problems.
Fourth, Brown
should seek to persuade the British people that the EU is a very useful body,
that it suffers from serious flaws, and that these flaws can be reformed.
Centre for European
Reform (CER): European Choices for Gordon Brown (July2007)
