Blair faces ‘bruising’ six months at EU helm

By Martin Banks

Date: 23/06/05

TONY Blair's crusade for economic reforms of the EU will be launched today (23 June) with a speech to the European Parliament on the working programme for the forthcoming UK presidency of the EU.

With recriminations from last week's failed summit still ringing around Brussels, the British prime minister is facing a difficult start to his six months at the head of the European Council.

"Blair has a difficult legacy, which he created himself," said Nicolas Schmit, deputy foreign minister of Luxembourg.

John Monks, secretary-general of the European Trade Union Confederation, said that "having blocked the budget for 2007-13, the UK presidency will have a difficult job to pick up the different pieces in Europe. It's not a good start for this presidency".

In his address to the assembly, Blair is expected to signal his determination to use the presidency to start a debate on radically reforming the Union to meet 21st-century world economic realities.

But he is also expected to insist that he does believe in a strong "social model" for Europe.

The UK's legislative programme will include a commitment to reducing red tape and the "volume and complexity" of EU legislation.

Britain will also press ahead with implementation of the controversial services directive, a move which is likely once again to pitch the UK on a collision course with France whose President, Jacques Chirac, has denounced the directive as "unacceptable".

The Parliament is expected to complete its first reading on the draft directive this autumn.

Schmit said: "This is a real hot potato and will be a very delicate one for the British presidency."

Another controversial highlight will be the proposal amending the working- time directive.

A briefing note from the UK permanent representation also says the incoming presidency will "pursue the remaining dossiers in the financial services action plan" and attempt to make progress on the REACH regulation of chemicals.

Competitiveness is another key theme for the UK presidency and Britain will hope to have a policy debate at its November Council on the European Commission's competitiveness and innovation framework programme.

Another presidency priority is expected to be development policy with the Commission currently working on an EU strategy for Africa, scheduled to come out in November.

The Parliament's political group leaders are warning that Blair faces a potentially bruising six months at the helm.

European People's Party leader Hans-Gert Pöttering said: "The UK presidency begins facing a number of important challenges, the budget negotiations, the debate on ratification of the constitution and many other key issues." The Parliament would be co-operating fully with the Council to make progress on these dossiers, he promised.

Monica Frassoni, joint leader of the Greens/EFA group, said: "There is obviously a need for a debate on which economic and social policies the EU should pursue. We doubt, however, that our group and Blair will have the same answer to this question."

Graham Watson, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "Blair must show that Britain is fully prepared to engage fully in shaping a Europe which not only meets the enormous global challenges ahead but enjoys the confidence of its citizens."

Schmit said that Blair was unlikely to find an agreement on the EU budget "outside the parameters fixed by the Luxembourg presidency. If he believes he can unravel all EU policies in the following months, this is not realistic".

Article previews a speech by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to the European Parliament, Brussels, 23 June 2005 at the beginning of the UK Presidency of the European Union, July 2005, and discusses the challenges facing the UK Presidency.