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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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 Sat Jun 18, 2005 5:59 pm EU in Crisis as Talks End in Failure |
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| AOL News wrote: | EU in Crisis as Talks End in Failure
Blair under fire from French and Germans
European leaders have angrily turned on Tony Blair as talks to broker a new European budget collapsed in chaos.
French President Jacques Chirac led the recriminations after the Prime Minister twice rejected compromise proposals aimed at securing a deal.
Mr Blair, however, insisted he had no choice as the proposals on offer meant abandoning Britain's budget rebate without tackling the EU's bloated farm subsidies.
And he accused his critics of "tactics and manoeuvres'' to try to isolate him around the conference table.
The bitter fall-out left the EU facing its deepest crisis for years, coming just three weeks after the decisive rejection of the new constitutional treaty by French and Dutch voters.
During an acrimonious final round table session in Brussels in which normal diplomatic niceties were thrown to the wind, Mr Chirac described Britain's stance as "pathetic and tragic''.
He said: "This will change Europe. I ask myself what will be the dignity of those that have said 'no' when the poor member states say at the same time that they want to make sacrifices.''
He was joined by Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who holds the rotating EU presidency and who twice had proposals for a deal rejected by Mr Blair.
"That makes me sad. Especially when all the new member states, even though poorer than the others, were prepared to give up part of their budget. I was ashamed,'' he told the end of summit news conference.
Asked how he would hand over the EU presidency to Mr Blair at the end of the month, he replied: "Without comment and without advice - because there is a strong resistance to my advice.''
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said substantial efforts had been made during the 14-hour negotiations to overcome "national egotism''.
He added: "Those responsible for failure bear heavy responsibility. If the UK and others were ready to lift their rejectionist attitude we could make progress.''
A clearly angry Mr Blair insisted throughout the talks he had been prepared to negotiate on Britain's annual �3 billion rebate, provided it was tied to reform of the Common Agricultural Policy - something Mr Chirac was determined to block.
The Prime Minister was scathing, saying he had found it "bizarre'' that some EU leaders at the final session had tried to argue that the CAP was the right way forward.
He said it was unacceptable that planned expenditure on farm subsidies, which particularly favour the French, was seven times that for science, research and technology.
With the "blame game'' in full swing, British diplomats were clearly relieved that Britain had not been isolated, with Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Finland also opposing the deal on offer. Italy and Denmark also voiced reservations.
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I find is very annoying that Gerhard Schroeder says "Those responsible for failure bear heavy responsibility. If the UK and others were ready to lift their rejectionist attitude we could make progress.'' Em, what is France doing? "prepared to negotiate on Britain's annual �3 billion rebate, provided it was tied to reform of the Common Agricultural Policy - something Mr Chirac was determined to block." Oh, exactly the same thing! It was such a stupid thing by Chirac to detract attention from France not voting for the EU constitution and he is being a total hypocrite. We only get back 2/3's of the money put into the CAP policy and yet Chirac doesn't want us to get it. Yet if the CAP is reformed he knows France will lose out on a lot of the money they get from it, so he won't.
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Theresa
Lux Mihi Deus
Joined: 17 Jun 2001
Posts: 27256
Location: United States of America
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| Sat Jun 18, 2005 6:07 pm |
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Yeah, Dirk was just talking about this. I'd have to agree with him that the French are being "silly", 
-------signature-------
Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with our scars
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Sat Jun 18, 2005 6:13 pm |
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I've thought of a way to solve this. No one gives the french money for their farmers and then we don't need rebates. See what happens then, and Chirac and take the problems as they come, although I pity any farmer, knowing his sucess.
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Dirt
Exercise Boy
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 2086
Location: a tree
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| Sat Jun 18, 2005 6:36 pm |
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Stop the whole EU thing and go back to just the economics thingie 
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Seven of Nine
Sammie's Mammy
Joined: 16 Jun 2001
Posts: 7871
Location: North East England
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| Sat Jun 18, 2005 11:39 pm |
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It's getting stupid. It's a load of petty squabbles that the leaders refuse to solve, for their own political gain. Bah.
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madlilnerd
Duchess of Dancemat
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 5885
Location: Slough, England
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| Sun Jun 19, 2005 4:49 am |
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We should have sorted this all out BEFORE we joined all those extra people up *cough* Turkey *cough*.
The French are being selfish, Mr Blair is trying his best (I really feel for him, he is under so much stress) and everyone seems to be pointing the finger at each other. It's a nightmare. United we stand, divided we fall and right now, from the way we're falling, I'm thinking it'll be a pretty painful landing for Europe.
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Dirt
Exercise Boy
Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 2086
Location: a tree
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| Sun Jun 19, 2005 5:11 am |
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Turkey hasn't joined yet silly
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