Jim Murphy

Moving away from the constitutional approach

In the press this week, I read the claim that the UK Government has accepted that the Reform Treaty is the same as the old Constitutional Treaty. We don’t, because it isn’t.

All countries of the European Union have agreed that the Constitution has been abandoned. My own view is that Europe will not now in my lifetime have a constitution.

All EU countries have declared that the constitutional approach has been abandoned. Everyone has moved away from the constitution but the UK has moved away more than any other country.

I recently met the President of the European Parliament, Hans Gert Poettering. He is a real friend of the UK and a conservative politician. He observed that because of the deal that the UK has secured, much of the substance of the Reform Treaty simply won't apply in Britain. As he wrote in a letter to the Telegraph in July, "compared to the draft Constitution, the Reform Treaty involves a de facto British opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as a much wider British exemption in Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) than previously conceded."

Getting Europe back to work

Coming back to the question that I posed in my last post - how do we get Europe back to work? - I was pleased to note that the European Commission's Review of Small and Medium Enterprise policy, published last week, recognised the importance of SMEs as a driver of employment growth in Europe. There are around 23 million SMEs across the EU, accounting for around 75 million jobs. In some sectors, they account for as much as 80% of all jobs.

It's crucial that governments across the EU support a strong enterprise culture, and an environment in which new businesses can flourish. This is an area where effective EU action can build on the work of national governments, through cutting red tape, improving access to markets and supporting investment in innovation and research.

I was also interested to see a recent Eurobarometer poll report positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship amongst young people across Europe, particularly in the new member states. Fostering creativity and potential in young people is more important than ever in ensuring we can meet the new challenges in a globalised economy.

Healthcare in France

Several of you have raised the issue of changes in eligibility for health care services in France, which will affect early retirees to France from other European countries, including the UK. I appreciate that this is a matter of urgent concern for many people.

The Department of Health in the UK and the British Embassy in Paris are in contact with the French authorities on this issue, and we will seek further clarification of what the implications will be for UK nationals. I understand that the French government has now decided that for those people already living in France the proposed changes to healthcare eligibility will not take effect until 31 March 2008.

You can find out more by visiting the British Embassy website or by getting in touch with the Department for Work and Pensions Overseas Health Benefits Helpline on +44 191 218 1999.

Posted at 14:57 11 October 2007 by Jim Murphy  |  Comments[51]