Not for publication

A curious couple of e-mails from the Foreign Office to selected political journalists. Entitled "Myth and fact in the Lisbon treaty" they attempt to take on some of the most popular arguments against the Lisbon treaty. I say curious only because the e-mails begin: "Not for Publication". A big ask on such a rabidly political issue. So in the interests of transparency, here is the contents of the e-mails cut and pasted in full.

Update: The Foreign Office have (not surprisingly) phoned. Courteous and diplomatic, they concede that the e-mails should not have been marked "not for publication", indeed one of them is on the FCO website. But, using polite but firm tones, they ask that in future "not for publication" stuff is not automatically put on th'interweb.

Email 1 Sent: 29 January 2008 10:35

Not for publication: JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS IN THE LISBON TREATY 
Myth: UK has given up its JHA veto. 
Fact: We have extended our opt-in to those areas where majority voting has been extended. Majority voting can sometimes help to unblock decision-making problems. This is important in an EU of 27 Member States, and will allow the EU to act quickly and effectively in ensuring the security of EU citizens. Unanimity will be retained for the most sensitive

areas, such as operational police co-operation, the creation of a European Public Prosecutor, and measures concerning family law with cross-border implications.

Myth: UK is giving up border controls.
Fact: No. We will retain our border controls on people arriving from other EU countries. We will only opt-in to individual measures if they are consistent with our policy of retaining control of our borders.

Myth: UK is surrendering asylum policy to the EU. 
Fact: No. We could choose not to participate in EU asylum proposals before, and we can still choose now. However, all Member States agree that working together improves our asylum systems. European co-operation can substantially help to stop the problems of 'asylum shopping'.

Myth: Charter of Fundamental Rights creates new rights. 
Not true. The Charter records existing rights by which Member States, including the UK, are already bound when they implement EU law. The Charter creates no new enforceable rights. The UK's legally-binding Protocol guarantees that the Charter does not create any greater rights than already apply in EU law, nor extend the powers of any court - European or domestic - to strike down UK laws.

Myth: European police will operate on UK soil. 
Fact: No. Proposals for operational police co-operation will remain under unanimity and we will be able to decide whether or not any measures will apply to the UK. But co-operation between police forces makes good sense to tackle international crime. We will support co-operation between police where it's in the national interest.

Myth: Europol will become an EU police force. 
Fact: Europol is the EU's criminal intelligence agency. It plays a vital supporting role to national police forces and will continue to do so. The new Treaty does not allow Europol to carry out any independent operational action.

Myth: ECJ will be able to interfere in UK criminal justice. 
Fact: Under the terms of he UK opt-in, where we choose not to participate in a criminal justice proposal, the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice will not apply to the UK. The ECJ already has jurisdiction [in the First Pillar] in relation to visas, immigration and asylum. The extended jurisdiction will ensure that all Member States implement JHA legislation effectively. The UK has a strong track record in implementing EU legislation.

Myth: There will be a European Public Prosecutor. 
Fact: We do not see the need for such a Prosecutor. Under the new Treaty, the UK would be able to prevent a European Public Prosecutor from having any role in the UK.

-----

E-mail 2 Sent: 30 January 2008 12:57

Dear colleagues - please find below some background information ahead of today's Lisbon Treaty debate. Please give us a call if you need quotes etc.

Not for publication: ENERGY IN THE LISBON TREATY
Myth: The EU will take control of a third of the UK's oil reserves. 
Fact: No. The European Commission will not be able to take control changes to our oil reserves. These will remain under the sole control of the British Government. Indeed, the Lisbon Treaty guards against this. In Article 176a it says: "Such measures shall not affect a Member State's right to determine the conditions for exploiting its energy resources, its choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply". What the Lisbon Treaty does do is introduce a dedicated legal base on energy for the first time. This will help to achieve four objectives, which the UK strongly supports: better market functioning; security of supply; energy efficiency and renewables; and better connections between national grids. It can help open Europe's energy markets and overcome protectionism by others. We can also use it to introduce new measures to tackle climate change.

Myth: The EU will get new energy powers which HMG previously opposed, and the Commission will reintroduce its 2002 proposal (which the UK did not support).

Fact: The Commission may publish different proposals which will have the effect of increasing the levels of oil stocks which member states need to hold. We will consider these proposals when they emerge. We will continue to insist that individual member states decide on their own energy mix - as endorsed by EU leaders at the Spring Council in March and see no justification for increasing the current stocks levels.

Myth: UK's energy industry is against the Lisbon Treaty provisions on energy markets. 
Fact: No. The bosses of Centrica and the National Grid, for example, wrote to the Financial Times on 20 September supporting this move. They argued that the treaty will: "promote energy liberalisation by moving this to majority voting. In an EU of 27 member states, this will be a way of circumventing cases of protectionism".

Ends

Comments

Isn't this because when they last published something like this the Independent ran it as their front page without bothering to mention it had been taken almost word for word from a government press release ...

[Adrian Peirson]

Myth the EU will Control our Border Controls,
No we will RETAIN our Border Controls.

That says it all then doesnt it, because as we all Know, We Have No Border Controls.
What this Piece Of FO Linguistic Slime is saying is that thingswill continue as the are as defined by the word 'Retain'

What is going to Happen is that Our Borders are to be Policed, there will be No restrictions BUT entries and exits will require ID, so Our Border controls will be Beefed up means that Westminster intends to Use the deception that need Border controls to Implement its ID system under the guise of Having Border Controls.
This is how they work, New Speak Deception.