Europe's Influence on International Affairs under the
Lisbon Treaty
Notes for a speech to the European-Atlantic Movement 6th Form
Conference at Epsom College, 22 February 2010

With the Irish deciding "yes" the Lisbon Treaty is nearly in place. On
behalf of the Conservative Europe Group, I welcome this outcome.

The final report of the IPPR Commission on National Security in the 21st
Century contains aspects relating to European defence collaboration.

From The Economist print edition

The Tories' new allies are a motley crew

NOT fascists, but not obvious soul mates either: that is a fair summary of the politicians invited on June 22nd to join Britain’s Conservatives in a new grouping in the European Parliament. Most are nationalists or social conservatives whose views hardly chime with the moderate messages pushed by David Cameron at home. How did this happen?

Timothy Garton Ash

The Conservative party is mad to choose irrelevance in the European parliament, and we will all pay for it

How would you describe a British politician who prefers getting acquainted with the finer points of the history of the Waffen-SS in Latvia to maximising British influence with Barack Obama? An idiot? A madman? A nincompoop?

Eurosceptics have the wrong idea, argues Alan Riley, as the country prepares to vote in this week's Euro elections

Sunday, 31 May 2009

With the Westminster expenses row dominating the headlines, it is easy to forget that another election to another parliament is taking place next week. Yet that parliament, the EU's Strasbourg, has a huge effect on British prosperity. For a start, the EU Parliament has a big say in the rules governing the single market, where 50 per cent of British trade goes.

Ian Taylor MP
Chairman, Conservative Europe Group

By Timothy Garton Ash

The EU is not a single democracy. The parties are shaping up for a big scrap in June, but the issues will be domestic

The other day I heard a pro-European British politician say the most extraordinary thing. His party, he confided, proposes to make its European election campaign about Europe. Hollow laughter shimmied round the table. A European election actually being about Europe? How original. How ridiculous.

Kenneth Clarke MP welcomes launch of Conservative Europe Group

This evening it was announced that the Conservative Group for Europe, the Conservative Party’s leading pro-EU voice for over thirty years, will go by the new name of the Conservative Europe Group.

Speaking at an event to mark the launch of the Conservative Europe Group, Kenneth Clarke MP stated: "As President, I am delighted to announce that as of today we will be known as the Conservative Europe Group (CEG).

By Gideon Rachman

I am ready to retire as a eurosceptic. The European Union is in trouble. But rather than smirking – which would be the normal reaction of a sceptic – I am alarmed.