Post on Europe - 8/4/2011
Posted by Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for North East Somerset, at 15:29, Fri 8 April 2011:
Although mention of Europe makes “one gasp and stretch one's eyes” its effect on British law is increasing. This was apparent in Parliament last week during discussion of private members’ bills and on the committee corridor.
As a member of the European Scrutiny Committee I attended European Committee B on Passenger Name Records. This involves details of how people book their flights, what routes they take and who they are. It is considered a useful tool in combating terrorism and is used by the United States, Australia, South Korea and other countries. Britain has its own version called e-Borders but now wants to opt into a pan-European scheme.
As it combats terrorism it sounds very sensible but it may weaken our existing immigration checks. The European model does not cover immigration issues nor does it cover flights between member states of the European Union. It covers only what the Commission presumptuously calls ‘international flights’ which are only a quarter of the total. So to be good Europeans we risk weakening out border controls and assume that there are no terrorists flying within the European Union. The Government refuses to say if there are any circumstances under which it will not opt in to this scheme.
The Private Members’ Bill is related to food labelling. Unfortunately, the right to decide who can put a Union Jack on a packet of sausages or to call beef ‘British’ lies with the European Union. Thus we see matters great and small out of the remit of elected politicians and with bureaucrats. This cannot be right.
www.jacobreesmogg.com
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Posted by Richard Wallace, 20:03, Fri 8 April 2011: (Is this post abusive?) #
Terrorists are just as prevelant in the EU as outside it, so it is time, as you say that your/my government declares that it will not opt into this scheme if it is inferior to the eborders scheme. It is about time that the UK government started opting out of much of the ridiculous beaurocracy that comes from Brussels, surely that is possible after all we are helping any Tom Dick or Harry with vast amounts of our hard earned cash to bail them out and preseve the one size fits all Euro so they will not cast us adrift. This government needs to start standing on its rights of refusal!!! Maggie Thatcher did if you recall.
Posted by Leslie Poynter, 14:49, Mon 11 April 2011: (Is this post abusive?) #
Its all well and good to rail at the undemocratic and perverse machinations of the EU, and I agree that it cannot be right for the EU to dictate in the way it does, but what can be done to roll back the frontiers of this Franco-German Empire. Does DC have the bottle to face up these unelected bureaucrats or is he content to sell us further down the river? How many of your fellow parliamentarians share your concerns?