Posted on 04/04/2006 6:19:46 PM PDT by blam
20 EU states warned to toe Brussels line
By David Rennie in Brussels
(Filed: 05/04/2006)
The European Commission launched a barrage of legal proceedings against more than 20 member states yesterday, demanding that they obey EU laws on everything from energy monopolies to subsidies for airlines.
Fearing for the health of the single market after an outbreak of protectionism in various countries, the Brussels commission challenged a French decree blocking foreign ownership of firms in 11 "sensitive sectors", from cryptology and arms to casinos.
The decree, which came into force on Dec 31 last year, was part of the policy of "economic patriotism" declared by the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin. France could face huge fines at the European Court of Justice.
The commission sent 28 "letters of formal notice" to 17 states for failing to open gas and electricity markets to more competition.
It renewed a warning to Greece to recover £108 million in illegal subsidies given to Olympic Airways between 1998 and 2002.
The commission also took the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary and Spain to task for not banning tobacco advertising at motor races and other events.
And in a totally unrelated story, Mexican Presidente Fox threatens to sue the United States should they actually have the temerity to enforce existing law on the shared U.S.-Mexican border.
Do they really want to be dictated by Brussels?
Brussels can say what it likes, but in general, when France does not wish to do something (including pay fines directed by the European Court of Justice), France simply ignores Brussels and ignores the court too.
And the enforcement mechanism is...?
What the UN does.
Issue the demand again, more stridently.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Until circumstances change and France doesn't need to keep the policy anymore, and changes it to more closely resemble European norms...but the fine never gets paid.
See, here's the funny part. The EU did a grand total of one smart thing: make all of Europe a free-trade zone unto itself. But of course, the Euro-libs just had to go and screw that up.
"The decree, which came into force on Dec 31 last year, was part of the policy of "economic patriotism" declared by the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin."
Lolocaust. Protectionism subsidizes domestic producers at the expense of domestic consumers. It is nothing more than French labor unions lining their own pockets at the expense of the rest of the French populace. "Economic patriotism" is nothing more than theft with a happy-sounding label on it. There is nothing patriotic about it.
The EU is falling apart sooner rather than later.
The elites got power hungry. They couldn't figure out it was better to have a successful EU with 8 - 12 members than a failed EU with 25 members.
One has to wonder why Europe, over 100 million people strong, would pay all those trillions of Euros, simply to have a larger layer of bureaucracy lording it over them. And BELGIUM spending all those trillions? What a concept.
Not to nitpick, but they've got, like, three times that.
would pay all those trillions of Euros, simply to have a larger layer of bureaucracy lording it over them.
Because they're socialists. Socialism requires bureaucracy. Also, Germany is in the EU. And Germans love bureaucracy.
And BELGIUM spending all those trillions? What a concept.
Remember the Maginot Line? Everyone always makes fun of France for that.
French Guy: "Haw haw haw! We have feeneeshed ze Maginot Line! Ze Germans weel nevere get past eet! Oh, no! Ze Germans are goeeng a-round ze Maginot Line, through Beligium, pre-cisely like zey deed last time! Quickly, surrendere!"
Thing was, the Maginot line was supposed to extend all the way to the North Sea. The reason why Germany was able to go around it was because Belgium is a bunch of slackers and didn't finish their part of the Maginot line. They were too busy making waffles or something.
So yeah, I'd trust France with national defense before I'd trust Belgium with anything.
"Thing was, the Maginot line was supposed to extend all the way to the North Sea. The reason why Germany was able to go around it was because Belgium is a bunch of slackers and didn't finish their part of the Maginot line. They were too busy making waffles or something. "
IIRC the design of the Line anticipated that belgium would be aligned with france in any future conflict and would allow french military deployment in belgium well before any german build-up actually resulted in invasion. In the event belgium declared itself neutral and didn't allow the french in, thus...
It doesn't actually really matter. Have you ever looked into the Congressional Record concerning this matter?
http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?id=90
Where was it EVER stated that the Truth will set you free? The "truth" will NEVER set you free: it will enslave you.
This is a theological concept, not a philosophical one.
Another that hasn´t been corrected is, that it´s not BELGIUM spending the EU budget (though you always read Brussels). The EU bodies spend the money, and the European Commission (sort-of EU "government" in a combination with the European Council) is located in Brussels.
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