EU Wants More Powers In Criminal Matters

The EU Observer reports: “The European Commission will propose to EU leaders to move a large number of decisions on police and criminal matters from the national to the European level, aiming at eliminating national vetoes in this area. Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said in a speech on the future of Europe in Lisbon on Monday (8 May) ‘People are asking for 'more Europe' in order to combat terrorism and organized crime. It is our duty to respond to this appeal, with or without a constitution.’ The commission seeks ‘to transfer to the [European] Community a large number of the decisions in the fields of justice, freedom and security that can be dealt with more effectively at European level than at national level,’ he indicated. Brussels proposes to use a so-called ‘passerelle’ or ‘bridging’ clause in the current EU treaty, which allows to shift policy areas from the ‘third’ to the ‘first’ pillar of EU decision-making.