26 March 2004, By Joe Murphy, Evening Standard, in Brussels

Blair vows to adopt new EU deal

Tony Blair today vowed to push through the controversial EU constitution - and set himself up for a bitter election battle over Europe's powers.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister had always backed the blueprint for future European integration - and flatly ruled out Tory demands for a referendum.

Mr Blair's uncompromising stance emerged after EU leaders in Brussels breathed new life into the constitution plan by setting a 30 June deadline for a decision.

It looks set to become a reality after months of bickering. The sudden revival followed the election of the new Spanish government and the moderate line taken by Poland which had previously been demanding major changes to the draft.

The new mood sweeping the EU summit creates a dilemma for Mr Blair, who was said to have been quietly hoping the issue would remain stalled until after the next election. Conservative leader Michael Howard is said to be preparing to turn the reforms - and his demand for a national

referendum before they are adopted by the UK - into a major election issue.

Downing Street had seemed relieved at a summit in December when the project looked doomed because of a row between other EU leaders over voting rights for small countries. The delay coincided with polls showing public unease and a growing revolt by Labour MPs unhappy at the implications.

But today Mr Blair ' s spokesman said Britain would back the deal regardless of the political risks. "We are supportive and want to make progress as fast as possible," he said. "The Government is not afraid to argue its case."

Despite polls last year showing eight in 10 people want a referendum, Mr Blair is determined to tough it out.

Irish premier Bertie Ahern told fellow leaders at dinner last night he wanted to see the constitution signed up before the end of Ireland's turn at holding the EU presidency.

Critics say the draft EU constitution is a federalist blueprint and a giant leap towards the EU adopting the trappings of statehood. It includes plans for a foreign-"minister" and an elected president, plus measures to even out some business taxation and begin to harmonise laws. Mr Blair flew into Brussels last night after his historic talks with Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffy in Tripoli.

Earlier, the summit appointed a new anti-terrorism czar, former Dutch justice minister Gijs de Vries, to co-ordinate the pooling of national security efforts and intelligence-gathering.

Meeting for the first time since the Madrid train bombings, leaders backed new anti-terror laws including a single arrest warrant to speed up the extradition of terrorist suspects and minimum-EU-wide penalties for terrorists crimes. Member states will also keep records of mobile phone calls to enable police to track suspects.

Mr Ahern said all members were determined to do whatever was necessary to fight terrorism. "At the highest level of the EU we must ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our people," he said.

"The threat of terrorism is a threat to our security, our democracy and our way of life. We will do everything in our power to protect our people from this threat."

http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/9905101?source=Evening%20Standard

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