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| UK must keep crime veto, MPs say | UK must keep crime veto, MPs say |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| The UK must retain its right of veto over EU cross-border crime policies, an influential committee of MPs has said. | The UK must retain its right of veto over EU cross-border crime policies, an influential committee of MPs has said. |
| The European Union argues the fight against terrorism highlights the need to be able to take majority decisions. | The European Union argues the fight against terrorism highlights the need to be able to take majority decisions. |
| But the Commons home affairs committee said any benefits to be had were not enough to justify "such a major transfer of power" from member states. | But the Commons home affairs committee said any benefits to be had were not enough to justify "such a major transfer of power" from member states. |
| Instead of arguing over institutional change, it said the EU should focus on practical measures to tackle crime. | Instead of arguing over institutional change, it said the EU should focus on practical measures to tackle crime. |
| EU-wide judicial moves must be agreed unanimously by all 25 states and that can lead to lengthy delays. | EU-wide judicial moves must be agreed unanimously by all 25 states and that can lead to lengthy delays. |
| 'Transfer of power' | 'Transfer of power' |
| Some states want national vetoes to be replaced with qualified majority voting (QMV) - a system weighted according to countries' size and under which no individual state holds a veto. | Some states want national vetoes to be replaced with qualified majority voting (QMV) - a system weighted according to countries' size and under which no individual state holds a veto. |
| QMV is one of the proposals which some want to salvage from the failed European Constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. | QMV is one of the proposals which some want to salvage from the failed European Constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. |
| Much of the debate is taking place without a sound analysis of the problems John Denham MPCommittee chairman | Much of the debate is taking place without a sound analysis of the problems John Denham MPCommittee chairman |
| But in its report, the Commons committee said: "The evidence we have seen does not persuade us that, as things stand at present, there are sufficient benefits in terms of tackling crime, either here in the UK or across the EU, to justify such a major transfer of power away from individual member states." | But in its report, the Commons committee said: "The evidence we have seen does not persuade us that, as things stand at present, there are sufficient benefits in terms of tackling crime, either here in the UK or across the EU, to justify such a major transfer of power away from individual member states." |
| If the UK lost its veto, it could mean Parliament ended up having to pass laws on sensitive issues that it had not wanted, the report said. | |
| It said June's meeting of EU home affairs ministers should instead concentrate on practical measures to improve co-operation between police, judicial systems and other agencies tackling international crime. | It said June's meeting of EU home affairs ministers should instead concentrate on practical measures to improve co-operation between police, judicial systems and other agencies tackling international crime. |
| Constitution revival? | Constitution revival? |
| The UK, the Republic of Ireland and Germany led the campaign against giving up sovereign rights over criminal justice affairs. | The UK, the Republic of Ireland and Germany led the campaign against giving up sovereign rights over criminal justice affairs. |
| Germany, the current EU president, is expected to try to relaunch the European Constitution at a summit on 21 June. The UK will argue for a slimmed-down treaty instead. | |
| Committee chairman John Denham said: "We have been struck by the way in which the debate about EU action on crime and illegal migration is dominated by different views of the future political shape of the EU, instead of identifying what would be most effective in tackling these major European challenges. | Committee chairman John Denham said: "We have been struck by the way in which the debate about EU action on crime and illegal migration is dominated by different views of the future political shape of the EU, instead of identifying what would be most effective in tackling these major European challenges. |
| "Much of the debate is taking place without a sound analysis of the problems, or a reliable assessment of the effectiveness of current action." | "Much of the debate is taking place without a sound analysis of the problems, or a reliable assessment of the effectiveness of current action." |
| Wide-ranging institutional reform was not necessary to achieve more effective action, he added. | Wide-ranging institutional reform was not necessary to achieve more effective action, he added. |
| But the report, Justice and Home Affairs issues at European Union Level, said there was some scope for common standards in some areas of criminal justice and legal systems. | But the report, Justice and Home Affairs issues at European Union Level, said there was some scope for common standards in some areas of criminal justice and legal systems. |