| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:MPs expenses | |
| Posted by: | Fraser Pearce | |
| Date/Time: | 20/05/09 13:39:00 |
| Good food for thought, Roland. As for the Lisbon Treaty’s framework for leaving the EU, this is probably a poisoned chalice. At the moment, there’s no prohibition on leaving the EU anyway (Greenland left the EEC in 1985 over fishing rights). In practice, however, all Article 49A of the Lisbon Treaty will do is make it more difficult to leave. Why? Because Article 49 says, “A Member State which decides to withdraw shall notify the European Council of its Intention...the member of the European Council or of the Council representing the withdrawing Member State shall not participate in the discussions of the European Council or Council or in decisions concerning it.” In effect, it’d be like sending a country out of the room while the other 26 decide exit terms. |