9 July 2007
The EU treaty agreed in Brussels was a success for Britain, the Prime Minister has said.
Parts of this transcript may have been edited
Ladies and Gentlemen I am delighted that my first foreign visitor to No 10 should be the President of the European Union Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister of Portugal. The alliance between Britain and Portugal started more than 600 years ago, it is not only long standing, but it runs deep in our history and there is daily contact and cooperation between our two countries. And I congratulate the Prime Minister on the growing economic success of his work in Portugal as it recovers growth, lowers its deficit and creates new jobs.
Now Portugal’s Presidency comes at a very important time for the European Union. We are seeking a world trade agreement as a matter of urgency, the Lisbon Agenda is at a critical stage and of course we are moving forward with the plans to amend the European Treaty as a result of the negotiations that have taken place in the last few weeks. I reaffirmed to the Prime Minister that we had secured our negotiating objectives and that we wished them reflected in all the detail of the agreements that will be discussed in the next few months, and that we now wish to move forward to discuss the other issues that are important for the future of Europe - climate change, economic cooperation, trade and fighting terrorism. We discussed the economic reform agenda and our view that Europe can make progress in a new Lisbon Agenda for future years. We also discussed in some detail the world trade talks where we believe that despite the disappointments of recent weeks, great progress can still be made and it is now for Europe, America, Brazil and India to work together to secure agreement. We also discussed how we can have closer cooperation in tackling terrorism.
And I also thanked the Portuguese authorities for the work that they have done to trace Madeleine McCann. I expressed the thanks of Madeleine’s parents to the Portuguese authorities for their efforts and we both agreed that we would try to do everything in our power to make sure that there is the safe return of Madeleine to her family.
Mr Socrates:
Thank you Prime Minister. I will speak in Portuguese, if you don’t mind. It will be better for me and better for you.
I would like to start by thanking you Prime Minister for inviting me here. I would also like to make a public statement that I took this opportunity to express to the Prime Minister of the UK the fact that all European governments feel solidarity with the UK following the failed terrorist attacks recently, and I also took this opportunity to state that we condemn such acts unreservedly and we congratulate the UK government on its rapid and firm response.
Combating terrorism is at the top of the Portuguese Presidency’s agenda. Europe requires greater police cooperation in order to face this threat and I can assure the UK Prime Minister that combating terrorism is a concern that will be borne in mind throughout our work in the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union.
There are three key points that I would like to raise. The first is in relation to the European Treaty. We both agree that it is necessary to move quickly from a mandate to a treaty. I had the opportunity to express to the Prime Minister our own plan, that we want to open up the intergovernmental conference in July and conclude it in October if possible at the time of the informal council. The Prime Minister agreed with that timescale and also agreed that it was necessary to ensure that this political work should have the greatest possible impetus in order for us to attain the treaty as soon as possible, and I count on the Prime Minister’s support for our work in trying to get a treaty as soon as possible.
I was also very pleased to hear Mr Brown’s optimism about the Doha round and the possibilities of reaching an agreement. I think that is something which is positive for the world in general because the world needs an agreement. An agreement can increase the potential for freer trade and at the same time set the foundations for stronger development for those countries that are still developing countries, a fairer globalisation is what we would like to see so I think that news is highly positive.
And more specifically, following our summit with Brazil the Prime Minister informed me of some contact that he had had in that respect and I think there is better news now than there was a few weeks ago and that is highly satisfactory.
We also had the opportunity to discuss one of the tasks of the Portuguese Presidency which is to focus on the new round of the Lisbon Agenda. To put Europe at the forefront of the world’s economy, that requires reform both in the economy and in society in order to face the challenges of globalisation with greater energy and with greater determination in order to meet the needs of Europe’s citizens.
We were also pleased to have this opportunity to have such a conversation and to see that there is such a broad consensus on these three main issues: of getting a treaty quickly; focusing on trade to ensure that we have a fairer form of globalisation and that the consequences of globalisation can reach more people; and also in relation to the need for reform to modernise European economies and society.
So thank you once again Prime Minister for welcoming me here.
Questions:
Prime Minister, the British Prime Minister, just on this whole question of the Treaty, what you are saying is the agreement reached by your predecessor in Brussels is acceptable to you if put into legal language, and that you would endorse that or seek Parliament to endorse that without a referendum. Is that the position? Could I just ask you Sir [PM Socrates] what you see as the main obstacles to achieving your goals on the amending treaty now?
Prime Minister:
We had a number of essential objectives when we had the Brussels discussions a few weeks ago. The first is obviously that the Charter of Rights should not be justiciable in British law; the second was that there had to be an opt-in for the justice and home affairs sections of the amending treaty; the third was that the foreign affairs and security work of Europe should be on an intergovernmental basis and that should not be changed; the fourth was that the social security provisions should allow for an emergency break, in other words that Britain could not incur extra costs as a result of these; and the fifth was that national security issues should remain a matter for member states. These were what you might call our red lines in negotiating the new amending treaty. What I want to ensure is that these red lines in detail are part of the new amending treaty and when it is discussed over the next few months that the principles that were agreed in Brussels are included in every single detail in the amending treaty that is finally agreed. So the work of the next few months is to ensure that what were red lines for Britain are in detail part of the treaty, and if that were the case then I would see no reason to recommend to the British people that there should be a referendum, in other words all our objectives would have been achieved and should be achieved as a result of the inclusion of the detail in the new amending treaty. Therefore I am happy that the progress that the Portuguese Prime Minister proposes for the work of the constitutional discussions moves ahead, but we must ensure that in detail what was achieved in Brussels is included in all the formal writing that is going to take place over the next few months.
Mr Socrates:
I think that we have a very clear and precise mandate and it will be very easy to pass from the mandate to the treaty. To compromise things, the agreement with Great Britain was very clear during the Council so I will not anticipate any problems with Great Britain during the preparation of the next treaty. The importance is to do the job very quickly in order to pass the mandate to the treaty. We have a mandate to transform the mandate in a treaty, we have not a mandate to open the mandate and everything is very clear on the mandate. Once again we will have no problem with Great Britain … and I think we can do it and do our job from July to October, with the support of the Prime Minister and Great Britain.
Question:
For you both gentlemen. Mr Brown you were not in Brussels, you were not having that late night, as we did. But is it for you needed to stay as we are concerning the institutional package, not touching it, is it also your position that no-one should touch it? This is my first question, also for the Portuguese Prime Minister. The second question, just a small one, you referred to the 600 years agreement between the alliance between Portugal and Britain so is it OK for you if we call it already the Treaty of Lisbon?
Prime Minister:
On the first point the constitutional project, as the document states from Brussels, was abandoned, in other words the idea of creating a new and completely new constitutional treaty was not accepted at Brussels. But what we did accept were a number of changes and these are changes that make the European Union with its membership of 27 work better. As far as Britain is concerned, we set down our proposals. I believe that we succeeded at Brussels in achieving our negotiating objectives, the question now, and the Portuguese Prime Minister has assured me that this is at the forefront of his mind, is that what was achieved at Brussels is reflected in the detail that will have to be agreed over the next few months, and what we will do as the United Kingdom government is ensure that what was agreed at Brussels is reflected in the small print of the amending treaty. Were that to be the case I see no reason why, just as after Nice and Amsterdam and after Maastricht, there is need for a referendum because our objectives have been achieved. That will be the work of the next few months.
Mr Socrates:
I agree with you, and I see no problem with Great Britain in completing the treaty. The importance in my point of view is once again to take the momentum to do the job very quickly, to do the new treaty as soon as possible. And I remembered I have the mandate very clear on my mind and it is very perfect, it is very perfect. I understand Great Britain is one of the countries that needs to confirm of course all the details of the negotiation will be clear on the treaty, but once again I anticipate no problems with Great Britain.
Question:
There are some reports this morning that there may be progress in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann this week. Have you been discussing the case and can you tell us about any progress at all?
Prime Minister:
Well I have raised the case with the Portuguese Prime Minister. I thanked him for the work that the Portuguese authorities have done, this has been a very detailed investigation and it is one that has involved not just the authorities in Portugal but the authorities right across Europe and in some cases beyond Europe. So we are grateful to the Portuguese authorities for the time and the effort and the dedication that is being put into this investigation. I have talked to Madeleine McCann’s parents, I have heard from them their appreciation of the work that has been done in this investigation. Obviously there are issues that they want to be assured about and I have raised these with the Portuguese Prime Minister. He has assured me that everything that can be done will be done and obviously we look for progress in what is something that is heart-rending in its sadness that a young child should be separated from her parents for so long with so little news of what has happened to her and at such a tender age.
Mr Socrates:
This investigation, it is important for Great Britain of course but it is so important for Portugal and it is very touching in public opinion in Great Britain, but also in Portugal. And we have dedicated to this investigation all the resources we have in order to give it high priority and we are doing our best and I think everyone in Portugal, and the family, knows that we are doing our best.
Question:
This is a question for both of you. Four years ago the British refused to sit at the same table with Mr Mugabe. Is the situation going to change at the next summit in December?
Prime Minister:
There is going to have to be a diplomatic solution found to this because of the difficulties that we have.
Mr Socrates:
I think it is very clear for the European Council that Europe needs a broad political dialogue with Africa and the European Council wants that Portugal organise the next European-Africa Summit and we are working on that. But as the Prime Minister said, we have several diplomatic problems that are needed to be overcome and we are dealing with that and we are doing our best to overcome those problems.
The EU treaty agreed in Brussels was a success for Britain, the Prime Minister has said.
Parts of this transcript may have been edited
Read the transcript
Prime Minister:Ladies and Gentlemen I am delighted that my first foreign visitor to No 10 should be the President of the European Union Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister of Portugal. The alliance between Britain and Portugal started more than 600 years ago, it is not only long standing, but it runs deep in our history and there is daily contact and cooperation between our two countries. And I congratulate the Prime Minister on the growing economic success of his work in Portugal as it recovers growth, lowers its deficit and creates new jobs.
Now Portugal’s Presidency comes at a very important time for the European Union. We are seeking a world trade agreement as a matter of urgency, the Lisbon Agenda is at a critical stage and of course we are moving forward with the plans to amend the European Treaty as a result of the negotiations that have taken place in the last few weeks. I reaffirmed to the Prime Minister that we had secured our negotiating objectives and that we wished them reflected in all the detail of the agreements that will be discussed in the next few months, and that we now wish to move forward to discuss the other issues that are important for the future of Europe - climate change, economic cooperation, trade and fighting terrorism. We discussed the economic reform agenda and our view that Europe can make progress in a new Lisbon Agenda for future years. We also discussed in some detail the world trade talks where we believe that despite the disappointments of recent weeks, great progress can still be made and it is now for Europe, America, Brazil and India to work together to secure agreement. We also discussed how we can have closer cooperation in tackling terrorism.
And I also thanked the Portuguese authorities for the work that they have done to trace Madeleine McCann. I expressed the thanks of Madeleine’s parents to the Portuguese authorities for their efforts and we both agreed that we would try to do everything in our power to make sure that there is the safe return of Madeleine to her family.
Mr Socrates:
Thank you Prime Minister. I will speak in Portuguese, if you don’t mind. It will be better for me and better for you.
I would like to start by thanking you Prime Minister for inviting me here. I would also like to make a public statement that I took this opportunity to express to the Prime Minister of the UK the fact that all European governments feel solidarity with the UK following the failed terrorist attacks recently, and I also took this opportunity to state that we condemn such acts unreservedly and we congratulate the UK government on its rapid and firm response.
Combating terrorism is at the top of the Portuguese Presidency’s agenda. Europe requires greater police cooperation in order to face this threat and I can assure the UK Prime Minister that combating terrorism is a concern that will be borne in mind throughout our work in the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union.
There are three key points that I would like to raise. The first is in relation to the European Treaty. We both agree that it is necessary to move quickly from a mandate to a treaty. I had the opportunity to express to the Prime Minister our own plan, that we want to open up the intergovernmental conference in July and conclude it in October if possible at the time of the informal council. The Prime Minister agreed with that timescale and also agreed that it was necessary to ensure that this political work should have the greatest possible impetus in order for us to attain the treaty as soon as possible, and I count on the Prime Minister’s support for our work in trying to get a treaty as soon as possible.
I was also very pleased to hear Mr Brown’s optimism about the Doha round and the possibilities of reaching an agreement. I think that is something which is positive for the world in general because the world needs an agreement. An agreement can increase the potential for freer trade and at the same time set the foundations for stronger development for those countries that are still developing countries, a fairer globalisation is what we would like to see so I think that news is highly positive.
And more specifically, following our summit with Brazil the Prime Minister informed me of some contact that he had had in that respect and I think there is better news now than there was a few weeks ago and that is highly satisfactory.
We also had the opportunity to discuss one of the tasks of the Portuguese Presidency which is to focus on the new round of the Lisbon Agenda. To put Europe at the forefront of the world’s economy, that requires reform both in the economy and in society in order to face the challenges of globalisation with greater energy and with greater determination in order to meet the needs of Europe’s citizens.
We were also pleased to have this opportunity to have such a conversation and to see that there is such a broad consensus on these three main issues: of getting a treaty quickly; focusing on trade to ensure that we have a fairer form of globalisation and that the consequences of globalisation can reach more people; and also in relation to the need for reform to modernise European economies and society.
So thank you once again Prime Minister for welcoming me here.
Questions:
Prime Minister, the British Prime Minister, just on this whole question of the Treaty, what you are saying is the agreement reached by your predecessor in Brussels is acceptable to you if put into legal language, and that you would endorse that or seek Parliament to endorse that without a referendum. Is that the position? Could I just ask you Sir [PM Socrates] what you see as the main obstacles to achieving your goals on the amending treaty now?
Prime Minister:
We had a number of essential objectives when we had the Brussels discussions a few weeks ago. The first is obviously that the Charter of Rights should not be justiciable in British law; the second was that there had to be an opt-in for the justice and home affairs sections of the amending treaty; the third was that the foreign affairs and security work of Europe should be on an intergovernmental basis and that should not be changed; the fourth was that the social security provisions should allow for an emergency break, in other words that Britain could not incur extra costs as a result of these; and the fifth was that national security issues should remain a matter for member states. These were what you might call our red lines in negotiating the new amending treaty. What I want to ensure is that these red lines in detail are part of the new amending treaty and when it is discussed over the next few months that the principles that were agreed in Brussels are included in every single detail in the amending treaty that is finally agreed. So the work of the next few months is to ensure that what were red lines for Britain are in detail part of the treaty, and if that were the case then I would see no reason to recommend to the British people that there should be a referendum, in other words all our objectives would have been achieved and should be achieved as a result of the inclusion of the detail in the new amending treaty. Therefore I am happy that the progress that the Portuguese Prime Minister proposes for the work of the constitutional discussions moves ahead, but we must ensure that in detail what was achieved in Brussels is included in all the formal writing that is going to take place over the next few months.
Mr Socrates:
I think that we have a very clear and precise mandate and it will be very easy to pass from the mandate to the treaty. To compromise things, the agreement with Great Britain was very clear during the Council so I will not anticipate any problems with Great Britain during the preparation of the next treaty. The importance is to do the job very quickly in order to pass the mandate to the treaty. We have a mandate to transform the mandate in a treaty, we have not a mandate to open the mandate and everything is very clear on the mandate. Once again we will have no problem with Great Britain … and I think we can do it and do our job from July to October, with the support of the Prime Minister and Great Britain.
Question:
For you both gentlemen. Mr Brown you were not in Brussels, you were not having that late night, as we did. But is it for you needed to stay as we are concerning the institutional package, not touching it, is it also your position that no-one should touch it? This is my first question, also for the Portuguese Prime Minister. The second question, just a small one, you referred to the 600 years agreement between the alliance between Portugal and Britain so is it OK for you if we call it already the Treaty of Lisbon?
Prime Minister:
On the first point the constitutional project, as the document states from Brussels, was abandoned, in other words the idea of creating a new and completely new constitutional treaty was not accepted at Brussels. But what we did accept were a number of changes and these are changes that make the European Union with its membership of 27 work better. As far as Britain is concerned, we set down our proposals. I believe that we succeeded at Brussels in achieving our negotiating objectives, the question now, and the Portuguese Prime Minister has assured me that this is at the forefront of his mind, is that what was achieved at Brussels is reflected in the detail that will have to be agreed over the next few months, and what we will do as the United Kingdom government is ensure that what was agreed at Brussels is reflected in the small print of the amending treaty. Were that to be the case I see no reason why, just as after Nice and Amsterdam and after Maastricht, there is need for a referendum because our objectives have been achieved. That will be the work of the next few months.
Mr Socrates:
I agree with you, and I see no problem with Great Britain in completing the treaty. The importance in my point of view is once again to take the momentum to do the job very quickly, to do the new treaty as soon as possible. And I remembered I have the mandate very clear on my mind and it is very perfect, it is very perfect. I understand Great Britain is one of the countries that needs to confirm of course all the details of the negotiation will be clear on the treaty, but once again I anticipate no problems with Great Britain.
Question:
There are some reports this morning that there may be progress in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann this week. Have you been discussing the case and can you tell us about any progress at all?
Prime Minister:
Well I have raised the case with the Portuguese Prime Minister. I thanked him for the work that the Portuguese authorities have done, this has been a very detailed investigation and it is one that has involved not just the authorities in Portugal but the authorities right across Europe and in some cases beyond Europe. So we are grateful to the Portuguese authorities for the time and the effort and the dedication that is being put into this investigation. I have talked to Madeleine McCann’s parents, I have heard from them their appreciation of the work that has been done in this investigation. Obviously there are issues that they want to be assured about and I have raised these with the Portuguese Prime Minister. He has assured me that everything that can be done will be done and obviously we look for progress in what is something that is heart-rending in its sadness that a young child should be separated from her parents for so long with so little news of what has happened to her and at such a tender age.
Mr Socrates:
This investigation, it is important for Great Britain of course but it is so important for Portugal and it is very touching in public opinion in Great Britain, but also in Portugal. And we have dedicated to this investigation all the resources we have in order to give it high priority and we are doing our best and I think everyone in Portugal, and the family, knows that we are doing our best.
Question:
This is a question for both of you. Four years ago the British refused to sit at the same table with Mr Mugabe. Is the situation going to change at the next summit in December?
Prime Minister:
There is going to have to be a diplomatic solution found to this because of the difficulties that we have.
Mr Socrates:
I think it is very clear for the European Council that Europe needs a broad political dialogue with Africa and the European Council wants that Portugal organise the next European-Africa Summit and we are working on that. But as the Prime Minister said, we have several diplomatic problems that are needed to be overcome and we are dealing with that and we are doing our best to overcome those problems.
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