|
Date: 07/10/1999
- “Europeans see food and eating as an essential part of their culture, their way of life, even their national identity. It links them to home, to family, to who they are. To undermine confidence in European food is to begin destroying Europe's cultural heritage.” Commission President Romano Prodi announcing his intention to make food safety a top priority for the EU, pledging toughing laws and holding out the prospect of an independent food safety agency.
- “No longer will Britain be bound by every anti-business, nanny state, interfering regulation dreamed up by the Commission.” British Conservative 'Shadow' Foreign Minister John Maples insisting that one of the first acts of a new Tory government would be to demand a change to the EU treaty to allow countries to decide whether or not to apply new EU legislation outside the 'core areas' of the single market and free trade.
- “The effect of silence on my part is that Euro-sceptics in my party have been given free rein. They have taken advantage of that to force the Conservative Party to take more extreme anti-European and revanchist views.” Former UK Finance Minister Kenneth Clarke in his first public speech in the UK on the EU this year, lamenting the direction in which his party was moving on Europe.
- “It has too often been presented as a race, but in a race you can say the silver medal winner is the first loser, and these ideas can only ruin the working relationship between our countries.” Estonian President Lennart Meri warning that competition between the Baltic nations to join the EU and NATO could only harm relations between the three neighbours.
- “The size of the protest is taking on pleasing proportions.” Roger Poletti, leader of the French lorry drivers' union Force Ouvriere, heralding the strength of the demonstrations this week over working hours.
|
