Britain appeals to France not to hold EU referendum: paper

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 10, 2003

Britain appeals to France not to hold EU referendum: paper

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British diplomats have urged France not to hold a referendum on the proposed European constitution, amid concerns that it might embarrass British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the British Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported on Sunday.

One high-ranking British official has privately told senior French diplomats that it would be "unhelpful" to Blair if French President Jacques Chirac decided to go ahead with a poll in France,the paper said.

According to the paper, British ministers were also concerned that pressure for a referendum in Britain would escalate sharply if such a close European neighbor as France opted for one.

Campaigners for a European referendum in Britain believed that Blair, who has insisted that a referendum is not needed because itdoes not involve a fundamental change between the member states and the European Union, might be forced to retreat if the French go ahead, the paper said.

However, an official close to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the paper that no formal request would be made to the French government by London.

"We would not put any direct pressure on the French. It would probably be counterproductive," the official said. But informal remarks might have been made between diplomats.

British opposition Conservative Party has repeatedly urged a referendum on the draft EU constitution, claiming the constitutioncalling for an EU president and foreign minister and more majorityas opposed to unanimous voting would undermine British sovereignty.

Negotiations on the draft treaty, which aims to streamline decision making in the 15-nation European Union when it welcomes 10 new members next year, are still going on.

So far, several of the 25 current and prospective EU members have signalled that they are almost certain to hold referendums onthe draft treaty, which would also give the EU new powers to harmonize legal systems across Europe, and end the national veto on home affairs issues such as asylum and immigration.

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