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European Union (Amendment) Bill

Just let me set out my argument. This treaty is unique, however, in one regard. It marks the end of a process of institutional reform. That process has gone on too long and taken too much energy, but, if this treaty is ratified around Europe, it will be well and truly over—[Interruption.] Hon. Members ask me to prove it. If they will wait one second while I finish this paragraph, I will do so. As the preamble of the treaty says, its purpose is to complete—to finish and to stop—the institutional reform process started by the Amsterdam and Nice treaties. The European Council concluded in December that the amending treaty"““provides the Union with a stable and lasting institutional framework. We expect no change in the foreseeable future””." Richard Lambert of the CBI said on 22 November that "““the tide of Euro federalism has turned decisively””." [Laughter.] Opposition Members can mock the director general of the CBI if they wish; we take his views seriously.