European Union (Amendment) Bill

My Lords, the hour is late and nearly everything has been said, so I shall not detain your Lordships very long. I think that we should proceed with this Bill in our usual, careful way, ratify the treaty, and then move on to other important work that is waiting for us in Europe. There are substantive points and it is an amending treaty, but not one that requires a referendum. I shall deal with the matter of the referendum. I am speaker number 60 and my conclusion after listening to the early speakers is that the dispute with some noble Lords over a referendum is a separate matter. Some noble Lords are asking for it either for party-political purposes or to diminish the EU. In the end, it will do none of us any good. In reaching this conclusion, I was strongly influenced by the European Union Committee’s report, and I join other noble Lords in congratulating the committee on its impact assessment. I am not the only person who finds the treaty document difficult to follow and the committee’s report is a very useful guide. The opening section on objectives and values reflects the objectives and values that inspired me 30 years ago. As the committee points out, the treaty codifies current practice in finance and trade policy as well as foreign, defence and development policies—and all this is very helpful. As other noble Lords have pointed out, the EU has increased its membership from 15 countries in 2004 to 27 today. Any organisation would undergo a process of internal reform after such an increase. Does the Bill result in the EU becoming more efficient and effective, more fit for purpose? Do we still retain our freedoms? This is what we are here to decide. Yes, there are interesting innovations to try to involve EU citizens at a more national level—innovations such as the yellow and orange cards—and I welcome that, because the EU’s legitimacy depends less on European politics and more on politics in the member states. Many noble Lords are concerned, quite rightly, about the public. The logic is simple: we live in an interconnected world and at this dangerous time who knows what the unexpected consequences will be? The message that I am getting is that this is a time not for legal minutiae but for more engagement with Europe, not less. It is a time when our membership matters socially and economically to our population, to help them to secure the consistency and stability that we need as hard and difficult times approach—especially as at this time it looks as if Europe will withstand the credit crunch in much better shape than the United States. We need to be part of Europe’s capacity to hold things together. I agree with the Foreign Secretary that the United States may be our most important ally but we are part of Europe and, as such, Europe is an indispensable ally in facing up to the challenges about which many noble Lords have spoken, such as globalisation, terrorism, climate change, conflict prevention, and the need for strong international institutions. All those demand a co-operation within the EU, and these are the concerns of the people as I understand them. If I may mix my metaphors, with these storms approaching this is not a time to rock the boat—so let us proceed with this Bill, ratify the treaty and move on.