Re: [Fsfe-uk] Swpat accepted; what now?

[Ralph Janke]

Alex,

I would suggest to get as many MPs and candiates of Green Party and 
Libdem on board to make it a campaign issue
at the General Election. Considering the faux-pas of the Government 
passing a Anti-Terrorist bill without the MPs even knowing
the text, it would probably another good example of the errosion of 
democratic principle by the UK government and their support
of the same lack of democratic principles concerning the EU.

The Green party is on our side anyway, and the LibDems have something to 
prove sicne they want to be an alternative, so they need any vote
they can get. Maybe that already puts enough pressure on the current 
government to put pressure on the EU Council, or if not, it might do
so whoever is in Government after the general election.

Just a though....

Oh, btw... the "nuclear" option of procedural problem will always stay 
open if they pass it. That has to go to the European Court of Justice 
anyway,
but as more mistakes they make passing the directive as better for that 
option.

Cheers,
Ralph

Alex Hudson wrote:

> Guys,
>
> Some people will have seen this already, but for everyone's benefit: the
> European Council have just accepted the draft swpat directive and have
> completed their first reading.
>
> (The restart that the Parliament called for was denied; a number of
> countries also asked that the A-item be changed to a B-item, that was
> also denied. More information at http://wiki.ffii.org/Cons050307En ).
>
> While I think there will still be a debate about the process the Council
> have gone through, and whether or not they have actually behaved
> correctly from a procedural point of view, I would like to discuss
> future activity anticipating a second reading at the Parliament (which
> must come soon).
>
> I'm not sure what the procedure at second reading will be, but I've been
> told before that new amendments may be tabled (usually, you can only
> re-table amendments you tabled at the first reading). We obviously need
> to go to our MEPs and try to get them to produce a directive even better
> than the first reading. As well as ensuring they are aware of the harm
> the directive could cause, I think a worthwhile tactic will be to point
> out the behaviour of the Council - I think the second reading at the
> council will be a very different affair to the first.
>
> I would to see even more people participate in getting their MEP onside,
> but I wonder what other activity would be useful? Should we be trying to
> get more media coverage? 
>
> Cheers,
>
> Alex.
>
>
>
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>  



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