PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
ENHANCED CO-OPERATION AT INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE (9 February 2000)

That this House calls for renegotiation at the Intergovernmental Conference later this year of the provisions in the Amsterdam Treaty which provide for 'enhanced co-operation' otherwise known as 'flexibility'; notes that the doctrine is the means to establishing a hard core of a European superstate with the United Kingdom on the sidelines and therefore further totally rejects the current proposals of the Commission to re-endorse these provisions in the Amsterdam Treaty and the even more unacceptable abolition of the veto in respect of these provisions; that this House calls on Her Majesty's Government to declare opposition to the doctrine of 'enhanced co-operation' and 'flexibility'; notes that the former Foreign Secretary, the Right honourable Sir Malcolm Rifkind described the doctrine of 'flexibility' in January 1997 as 'probably the most important issue that is being discussed at the IGC,' (for Amsterdam); notes that in the same year on 16th January the EU Presidency stated, 'EMU is probably the most highly developed form of flexibility,' and therefore calls on Her Majesty's Government unequivocally to reject the 'enhanced co-operation' and 'flexibility' provisions in the Treaty of Amsterdam and their endorsement at the next IGC, including the abolition of the veto as it applies to these provisions now proposed by the European Commission.

Sponsored by:
Sir William Cash (Conservative)