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European Union (Amendment) Bill

Well, one argument used against the intergovernmental process is the length of time that it can take to reach a decision, particularly when 27 member states are trying to find a way through an issue. Secondly, there is always a danger—and, if my memory serves me well, my right honourable friend Jack Straw mentioned this in discussion with the European Union Committee—of the lowest common denominator applying. I can think of circumstances on the Justice and Home Affairs Council, where I sat, where one looked for ways through particular questions but, because of one or two member states having particular issues—which I am not saying were unimportant or irrelevant, but they could none the less have been surmounted—we spent a huge amount of time trying to do that. We did not, in the end, necessarily solve the problems as effectively as we might have. For example, we have been looking at the recognition of people who have had driving bans. That took place many years ago but it has still not yet come into force. One question, then, in looking within an amending treaty on how to make a union of 27 member states work most effectively is whether there are better ways to do that. Now, from a UK perspective, we have clearly been sure to build into our position that we will not come into a measure on justice and home affairs unless we believe it is in our national interest. Many times, it will be; on occasion, it will not. I did not opt in to every measure. It is important that we retain that power, because we need to ensure that our national interest is always covered, but that is within the context that one’s ambition is that where measures are advanced, they are for the mutual benefit of all member states, so we would want to participate as fully as possible.