E.U getting too much power?

[Howlin0001]

Do you think the E.U is getting a bit too much power? I ask this because of the article I saw in the paper today

 

[hide=EU WILL GRAB BRITAIN'S GAS]BRITAINS vital North Sea oil and gas supplies are to be taken over by Europe under emergency plans revealed for the first time in Brussels yesterday.

 

 

 

EU leaders are demanding control of British energy reserves to prevent power blackouts that have left millions of eastern Europeans without heat in Arctic weather due to the Russian gas blockade.

 

 

 

Euro-MPs are calling for the creation of a European gas reserve, made up of British and Dutch supplies, which member states can tap into in the event of any future shortage.

 

 

 

The transfer of ownership would be enacted under secret powers written into the controversial Lisbon Treaty. It gives Europe the legal power to take over individual states supplies to ensure security of energy supply in the Union.

 

 

 

Ultimate control over Britains vast natural gas and oil fields by far the biggest resource within the EU will fall to Brussels if the new treaty, which has already been ratified by Britain, is adopted throughout Europe.

 

Last night, however, there were calls for Britain to stand firm against the seizure of our oil and gas. UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: Brussels has already stolen our fish. Now they want our oil and gas. These are vital resources to Britain and we demand that the British Government vetoes these proposals. This shows how vital it is that the UK holds a referendum on our future in the European Union.

 

 

 

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso is right to say that the EU needs to help eastern Europe with its energy security. But giving the EU control over our national energy reserves is totally the wrong way to go about it.

 

 

 

This is a regretful example of how the renamed EU constitution would give the EU too much power over our national affairs and why so important a treaty should be put to the British people to decide in a referendum.

 

 

 

What we really need is a proper free market in energy in the EU. The EU already has the power it needs to achieve that.

 

 

 

Syed Kamall, Conservative MEP for London, said: Conservatives will continue to resist any moves towards EU common energy resources. The Common Fisheries Policy has already decimated our fishing industry. An EU common energy resource policy would do the same to what little is left of our oil reserves.

 

 

 

Russian and Ukrainian officials and energy firm executives were yesterday locked in crisis talks in Brussels in a bid to break the deadlock over blocked supplies that has hit power deliveries to 10 EU countries.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, in a closed-door meeting with high-ranking European politicians, Mr Barroso said the current crisis showed the need for urgency in adopting a common EU energy policy.

 

 

 

He called for a mutualisation of energy stocks, the better use of EU indigenous energy resources and said it was vital that member states show solidarity with their struggling partners in eastern Europe.

 

 

 

Mr Barroso added that he would soon have the legal authority to take over control of energy reserves under the Lisbon Treaty.

 

 

 

He said the new powers were necessary because requests to national governments to detail what gas reserves they had available had produced no response.

 

 

 

MEPs also called yesterday for control over Britains dwindling natural resources. Austrian Hannes Swoboda and Dutchman Jan Marinus Wiersma said there was an urgent need for a European gas stockpile.

 

 

 

Mr Swoboda said: Some countries are not happy with the idea but it is absolutely necessary.

 

 

 

Mr Wiersma told the Daily Express the idea would involve stockpiling gas from producer countries such as the UK and the Netherlands to tide over vulnerable member states in the face of future crises.[/hide]

 

Taken from http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/790 ... tain-s-gas

 

 

 

So if Ireland had of said yes to the Lisbon treaty (will we probably will be forced to do anyway) and the others countries said yes(I think they may have) then the E.U would be kind of communist then wouldn't it?

 

 

 

(Hmm I wonder what other secret stuff is in the E.U that we don't know about? :-k )

 

 

 

What do you think?

[folmer_veeman]

Sounds like a G. W. Bush would come up with, grab national resources and use them for 'Future Shortages'

 

 

 

Yeah right :^o

[megakiller32]

Aaah let's all join UKIP!

 

 

 

That's a bloody stupid idea, that gas is our gas! There's going to be a world war with everyone vs everyone for gas and oil in the future, and countries will collapse and Europe will combine to become a country of europe, against America, while everyone forgets about Australia. Poor Australia. Asia don't need to join in, they have all the gas and oil they want.

 

 

 

Let's just hope there will be a mass zombie outbreak just before then.

[folmer_veeman]

 

Let's just hope there will be a mass zombie outbreak just before then.

 

 

 

GRAB THE HUNTING RIFLES AND M16's! We're going zombie hunting! (don't forget the shotgun btw \ )

[dsavi]

I'm fine with it. 8-)

[Freakyhair]

maybe we should just spend the money we spend on wars and policing drugs n graffiti on green energy and stop viewing countries in such black n white, greedy \ terms. :?

[Ginger_Warrior]

Blimey, you mean there was nothing on Princess Diana in the Express today?

 

 

 

Must be big news. :roll:

[Howlin0001]

Not the one I saw but I only saw that heading and read it.

[blushenka]

By all means Britain should keep its gas (and fish too).

[Sam]

I've always thought of The Express as a tabloid newspaper, half of this probably isn't true.

[dsavi]

Oh, it's a tabloid? Wikipedia says so anyway. [1] Who cares then.

[Sam]

Wikipedia is always right, my friend.

[Howlin0001]

I've always thought of The Express as a tabloid newspaper, half of this probably isn't true.

Hmm seems that you are actually right, I was looking up on google for any more sites to have something about this but seems like non do really. Also found http://jamesomalley.co.uk/blog/2009/01/ ... s-me-good/

 

 

 

Todays Daily Express front-page is screaming EU WILL GRAB BRITAINS GAS - and as you might expect, what with this being the Daily Express theyve got it wrong again.

 

 

 

The story concerns an apparent clause in the Lisbon treaty that would apparently share Britains gas supplies with other EU states in times when supply is compromised, such as in the current situation of Russia turning off the taps to the Ukraine (and thus the rest of eastern Europe). Of course, The Express being The Express, are completely misrepresenting the issue at stake here: that of energy security.

 

 

 

The report contains quotes from a Tory MEP and UKIPs crackpot leader Nigel Farage saying that Britain shouldnt share its supplies with the rest of Europe - apparently the Conservative party will resist any moves towards EU common energy resources. This is unbelievably short-sighted. Its all well and good wanting to hang on to the gas youve got - but thats no good if youve got none in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So sorry for this then it can be locked if needed or just left here.

[megakiller32]

I didn't notice the source was the express.

 

The express are pretty right wing, and are in love with UKIP, they'll warp any story to make people dislike the EU.

 

The real situation is probably we're selling gas to the other countries in the EU, and the Express pounced upon the story and morphed it.

[Ginger_Warrior]

I think it's topic worthy, it's just a bad example to dwell on. I think we had a topic about the Lisbon Treaty a while back but it's been a while since it or the EU's been touched on.

 

 

 

At the end of the day, the Express, the Mail, The Tories and the various other far-right parties have to wake up to the fact Britain is a tiny, tiny island; a very dense drop in an incredibly large ocean. We are never going to be an autarkic nation, and we will have to use foreign resources in order to keep our economy and our way of life going.

 

 

 

I've many problems with the EU. The fact it's protectionist, the fact it supports free market capitalism to the point of idiocy, the fact it appears to push its weight around unfairly and the fact it doesn't necessarily support Britain's best interests. But you win some, you lose some when it comes to foreign negotiations. At least it keeps Europe together, and keeps it trading so peace is in all members' best interests.

 

 

 

It's either the EU which grants us economic stability, a useless quasi-League of Nations (and don't we all know how badly that project failed), or nothing. I'd rather be in an organisation where my voice is represented on a global scale so Europe can actually have some sort of influence.

[Rainy_Day]

I think it's a little unfair to take our supplies. Russia said the fuel would resume asap anyway, so long as Ukraine promised to allow it to pass through, which they did. They shouldn't be able to 'bully' England into taking their supplies. I'm sure we'll all veto their plan of taking it, I can hardly see them forcing us into giving them the supplies.

[RichieMcD]

Well, the express sucks for being unbiased and correct on what it's reporting so I wont really comment on the "clause".

 

 

 

I will say though Howlin, it will be a very long time before Ireland will enter the Lisbon treaty until it actually starts suiting us and our country's policies. Out of curiosity, what part of Ireland are you from?

[purfishx]

This may be offtopic but I remember reading somewhere that the E.U. was the richest(?) and most powerful nation and was secretly hiding resources for something in the future.

 

 

 

I could be mistaken. :|

[dusqi]

But you win some, you lose some when it comes to foreign negotiations. At least it keeps Europe together, and keeps it trading so peace is in all members' best interests.

 

 

 

It's either the EU which grants us economic stability, a useless quasi-League of Nations (and don't we all know how badly that project failed), or nothing. I'd rather be in an organisation where my voice is represented on a global scale so Europe can actually have some sort of influence.

 

 

 

I agree with this. I used to be against closer integration with Europe on the basis that I have nothing in common with the rest of Europe, but 8 years of Bush and the rise of China have taught me that I disagree even more with the rest of the world.

 

 

 

The EU needs to be strong, so that even though we have to listen to Brussels from time to time, at least we'll be able to ignore Washington and Beijing if we want to.

[mmmcannibalism]

I've many problems with the EU. The fact it's protectionist, the fact it supports free market capitalism to the point of idiocy, the fact it appears to push its weight around unfairly and the fact it doesn't necessarily support Britain's best interests. But you win some, you lose some when it comes to foreign negotiations. At least it keeps Europe together, and keeps it trading so peace is in all members' best interests.

 

.

 

 

 

Not in any way knowledgable on europeon economics, but I find some irony in a body you claim supports free market capitalism backing to some extent, a move that is socializing energy reserves to some degree.

[Rebdragon]

Give it a few decades and the world will be going "EU who?". Global power is moving East, and spare maybe the UK and few other European countries, Europe is going to be left in the dust. Maybe if the average European didn't work 500 less hours a year than the average American that wouldn't happen, but that's the way it is, and that's what's going happen.

 

Sounds like a G. W. Bush would come up with, grab national resources and use them for 'Future Shortages'

 

Jesus Christ. A thread with the first hint of criticism towards Europe and the first post is bashing the US. When there's currently and active thread all about bashing the US.

 

 

 

To say this is predictable would be insulting, so I will. Frikkin' predictable.

 

 

 

This may be offtopic but I remember reading somewhere that the E.U. was the richest(?) and most powerful nation and was secretly hiding resources for something in the future.

 

 

 

I could be mistaken.

 

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the United States GDP still beats it, if only barely.

[RichieMcD]

Reb we're not going to be "left in the dust". The vast majority of Western European countries have some of the best economies in the world, modern and well performing educations systems and a qualified workforce with long life expectancy.

 

 

 

The HDI says it all really, a report on countries various statistics required for development. In the top 20 countries listed, 15 were European. America placed 15th, meaning there's 11 European countries developing faster than it.

 

 

 

Link = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index

[Ginger_Warrior]

Maybe if the average European didn't work 500 less hours a year than the average American that wouldn't happen, but that's the way it is, and that's what's going happen.

 

That analogy is stupid.

 

 

 

Why don't I compare Germany alone with you and, say, Zimbabwe together?

 

 

 

If you're going to compare countries, at least do it on a like-for-like basis, and look for explanations behind those figures rather than leaving it open and implying it's all due to laziness. For instance, Poland has a poverty rate of 23.8%, Bulgaria's is only 12.8% and France doesn't even bother recording, although the CIA's estimate is a minuscule 6.2%.

 

 

 

Collectively, we're still the biggest contributor of foreign aid in the world. I'd say that gives us some pretty decent leverage.

[mmmcannibalism]

Maybe if the average European didn't work 500 less hours a year than the average American that wouldn't happen, but that's the way it is, and that's what's going happen.

 

That analogy is stupid.

 

 

 

Why don't I compare Germany alone with you and, say, Zimbabwe together?

 

 

 

If you're going to compare countries, at least do it on a like-for-like basis, and look for explanations behind those figures rather than leaving it open and implying it's all due to laziness. For instance, Poland has a poverty rate of 23.8%, Bulgaria's is only 12.8% and France doesn't even bother recording, although the CIA's estimate is a minuscule 6.2%.

 

 

 

Collectively, we're still the biggest contributor of foreign aid in the world. I'd say that gives us some pretty decent leverage.

 

 

 

Did that statistic measure hours per worker or just hours worked per person, because if its just based on a workers average hours it would be reasonable to make a point with it. Though, that 500hour difference boils down to less then an hour and a half a day (Americans work 10 and a half extra hours per week give or take then) but there are certainly a lot of factors behind that difference such as types of industries and such.

 

 

 

On topic, I dont think the EU can get too powerful because it is still a group of seperate countries, and even if those countries do try to cooperate fully there will always be a sense of nationalism and independance that will make countries object to a lot of actions if they dont help that individual country. Basically, just like how the south seceded from the US because they didnt like that the north had a president, a much more radical example but it shows how sectional/national interest can trouble national/international unity.

[Howlin0001]

Well, the express sucks for being unbiased and correct on what it's reporting so I wont really comment on the "clause".

 

 

 

I will say though Howlin, it will be a very long time before Ireland will enter the Lisbon treaty until it actually starts suiting us and our country's policies. Out of curiosity, what part of Ireland are you from?

 

Wexford. But I think atm a lot of people I know have the feeling that it's not a yes or no vote but a

 

YES

 

or

 

We can keep doing this until we get a yes vote.