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The EU: A New Agenda for the 21st Century David Cameron today (March 6, 2007) addressed the first MER conference in Brussels. He made clear his opposition to the EU constitution and backed a UK referendum if it is ever finally proposed. He also outlined his agenda for reform so that the European Union to tackle the challenges we face today - climate change; global poverty and competitiveness.Below is an edited version of his speech. “On its fiftieth birthday, the European Union - alongside its older partner, NATO - is entitled to take its share of the credit for the changes that have happened. The historic reconciliation between France and Germany. The economic rebuilding of our continent. The consolidation of democracy not just across central and Eastern Europe, but on our southern periphery too - in Spain, in Portugal and in Greece. Fifty years on, it is right to celebrate those successes. But we must also look to the future. That is the purpose of our conference in Brussels today. We are a new generation, and we too want to build a Europe of which we and our children can be proud. But we know that the first step is to be honest about the new challenges we face. My approach My approach to European negotiations will be different. I believe that the best way to pursue your national interest, is not to posture - but to persuade. I will be polite, but solid and consistent. I will work to create a flexible Europe by building alliances with those who share our interests and our ideas. That is why we have formed the Movement for European Reform. To act together with others - some, like Mirek Topolanek, already in Government - to respond to the feeling of so many of our fellow Europeans that it is time to chart a new course, to focus on the things that matter What needs doing? Globalisation. Global warming. Global poverty. I think of these as the priorities of a 3G Europe. So how should we pursue them? Today's conference has been discussing this question in detail. Let me give you my thoughts in brief. On globalisation, we need to deliver the unfulfilled ambition of the Lisbon Agenda - to make Europe the most competitive and dynamic continent in the world, the best place to do business. That means using our collective weight to get a deal at the World Trade talks, rather than putting up obstacles to a deal. It means continuing to reform the Common Agricultural Policy so that it rewards European farmers fairly - and gives a fair deal to farmers in the developing world. It means putting more muscle behind Mr Barroso's attempts to get real deregulation underway. It means getting behind Chancellor Merkel's efforts to create a transatlantic common market. On the environment, we need to step up our collective commitment to reducing climate change. That means reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme so that it is more transparent, and capable of generating long term incentives for business to invest in green technology. And thirdly, on poverty, we need to make a reality of the EU's rhetoric that Africa is now one of its top priorities. Yes - that means keeping our commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, including the promise to devote point seven per cent of GDP to international development. But far more important in the long term, it means giving developing nations market access and helping them to build the legal and financial infrastructure they need to grow their economies. The case for flexibility Action on competitiveness... on the environment... on the developing world. All this amounts to an ambitious and exciting programme of reform and renewal for the EU. But instead of looking outwards to the world, the EU is looking inwards, at itself. Seeking new 'competences'. Creating new posts. Attempting to breathe new life into a Constitution which was rejected by French and Dutch voters, and for which there is scant enthusiasm among the people of Europe. What is confusing is that politicians who argue for closer political union do so on the same grounds that I argue against closer union. I believe they are profoundly wrong. In the globalised age, we need more flexibility, not more centralisation. For example, flexibility is vital in the area of worker protection, where there is such labour market diversity and demographic difference across the EU. That's why I do not believe it is appropriate for social and employment legislation to be dealt with at the European level. It will be a top priority for the next Conservative Government to restore social and employment legislation to national control. Institutional reform Mirek Topolanek and I are today setting up the European Reform Commission. This will be an independent body which will review all the competences as well as the institutional structures of the EU, so that the Union may best address the three priorities I have outlined: globalisation, global warming and global poverty. As a part of this work, I hope that the Commission will look closely at the question of how to deliver on the unfulfilled commitment of the Laeken Declaration. In particular, it should look at whether, and how, the body of EU law known as the acquis communitaire could be made reversible, as the EU Heads of State and Government proposed at Laeken. Just as member states have in the past agreed to transfer competences to the EU, so it should be possible to move in the opposite direction. As the Laeken Declaration suggests, the acquis must no longer be a one-way street. So these are the questions for the European Reform Commission. How can we enshrine the principle that powers can be returned to member states - not as a vague aspiration, but as a central element of the legal architecture of the Union? What are the tasks that we can return to national or local governments? How can we ensure flexibility within the EU, without endangering the achievements of the single market, or other core Community competences? How can we preserve both diversity and unity? I hope that Europeans who have an interest in the future of our continent will contribute to the Reform Commission's work, by following its progress and contributing to the discussions. Conclusion If the nations of Europe are to live up to their responsibilities in the face of globalisation, global warming and global poverty, we have to change the way we operate. I believe that today we are starting that change. For a new spirit is awake in Europe. The spirit of the 21st century: fresh, dynamic, flexible and outward looking. The MER represents this spirit - and I call on the people and the leaders of Europe to join us in making it reality.”
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