Government adopts tough stance with EU over borders
The government has adoped a tough stand on the issue of border controls during a meeting of EU ministers in the Dutch city of Maastricht. The new Minister for Europe, Doug Henderson, described as "inadequate" EU promises that Britain will be allowed to retain its border controls.
Mr Henderson said that there was tough bargaining to be done in the four weeks leading up to the crucial EU summit in Amsterdam. Said one official: "There will be no sleep until Amsterdam." Another official insisted: "We want explicit safeguards written into the Treaty stating that we can keep our borders."
The Dutch Minister for Europe, Michel Patijn, who chaired the meeting, said that he was not surprised by the British position. "I must admit there is a continuity of view from one government to another," he said.
The EU has made it clear that the UK will not have to join the "Schengen" group of 13 countries, all of which have relinquished their national frontiers to further the single market. But the new Labour government shares the same concerns of the previous Tory administration over illegal immigration, terrorism and drug smuggling.
Despite Labour's "fresh start" pledge, the gap with other EU states on key issues - such as borders, defence and control over foreign policy - is as wide as ever. The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, last week promised to put Britain "first, second and last" in European negotiations.
The message was reinforced by Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. He has warned that plans to make European defence and security issues a matter for collective decisions by majority vote "intimately touch on the identity of nation states".
Mr Cook said he could not believe that any member state would willingly accept being out-voted on issues vital to their national defence. Mr Henderson said: "We will try to encourage cooperation as much as possible, but we believe that each member state should have the right to make up its own mind on defence policy."
Proposals for bringing defence and foreign policy into the EU Treaty, along with justice and home affairs issues such as immigration, remain in the latest version of the draft.
The Dutch premier Wim Kok, who will chair the Amsterdam Summit, has made it clear he expects British concessions in return for lifting the pressure on border controls.
Labour hopes its new goodwill spirit will tip the balance in favour of Britain, allowing Mr Blair to return from Amsterdam with a deal. In the meantime, negotiations over the Treaty resume in The Hague on Tuesday. On Friday, EU leaders will welcome Mr Blair to a mini-summit in the coastal town of Noordwijk, where the Prime Minister will be expected to outline the limits of Britain's position on further integration.
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