A European Treaty and the Teletubbies

During the negotations last weekend on the EU-treaty some countries managed to drop issues out of their own EU shopping trolley. The Fundamental Right Charter, which for cosmetic reason was already thrown out of the Treaty and only referred to, became subject to undressing by member states. Despite Tony Blair was probably already busy with the preparations of his visit to the Pope right after the gathering, he still managed to position UK laws on Union rights being binding before EU legislation in this field, in the UK.

Poland then realised that exceptions can also be created for areas that are important for them. They proposed something that informally was called the Teletubby-proposal; it wanted binding legislation saying that the Fundamental Rights Charter could not affect the right of member states to legislate in the sphere of public morality and family law, as well as the protection of human dignity and respect for human physical and moral integrity. For some strange reason other member states cynically rejected this idea, hence it became a unilateral declaration, which happily will have little legal power.