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It is important to consider how the EU Constitution is being viewed in other countries. In the Spanish referendum the government claimed that the EU Constitution would result in more EU integration. The German Minister for Europe, Hans Martin Bury, recently said that "This Constitution is, in spite of all justified calls for further regulations, a milestone. Yes, it is more than that. I think, the EU Constitution is the birth certificate of the United States of Europe".
Former European Commission President Romano Prodi has also described the Constitution as “a big change from the basic concept of nation states".
If we actually look at the text of the Constitution, there are a number of issues which would increase the power of the European Union.
It gives the Union legal personality (Article I-6) and gives EU law primacy over the law of each member state (Article I-5).
The EU Constitution provides for 'shared power' between the EU and member states on a number of issues. However, reading Article I-11(2), we see that in any of those policy areas the UK would only be allowed to legislate if the EU chooses not to exercise its power. In other words, shared sovereignty really means a handover of power. Article I-13 lists these areas.
Article I-15 speaks of the EU's power over foreign, security and defence policy.
Article I-17 permits the extension of EU power without a referendum, and without the consent of the national Parliament.
Article I-27 creates the post of an EU Foreign Minister.
It is our opinion that the EU Constitution represents a considerable transfer of sovereignty from the UK to the EU. The UK Independence Party will therefore campaign for a 'No' vote in the referendum.
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