EU embassy mergers 'are step closer to a superstate'

UK Daily Mail | Dec. 6, 2007

By DANIEL MARTIN

Europe yesterday took another big step towards becoming a superstate by proposing joint EU embassies throughout the world.

The suggestion comes only days before the signing of the controversial EU treaty, which will create a European diplomatic service and a new post of EU foreign minister.

The European Commission unveiled plans yesterday for travellers to be able to use the consular services of any EU country and suggested members could merge their embassies.

It also proposed standard rules on the type of help that should be given to European citizens when abroad.

EU foreign relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said: 'We need to step up co-operation at EU level and work with member states to protect our citizens.'

Under the proposals, travellers who run into problems abroad would be able to use the consular services of any of the EU's 27 members.

There would also be standardised rules on the difficult problem of repatriation of corpses from abroad.

Any of the EU's 490million citizens are already supposed to be able to use another member state's consulate if their country is not represented abroad. But co-operation between countries' embassies and consulates is patchy.

The commission said it wanted to make consulates more aware of their duties regarding EU travellers who lose a passport or get arrested.

Last night a commission official who helped draft the proposal said: 'When a family member dies abroad, it is a nightmare. I could imagine a common stance for the repatriation of corpses.'

He said consulates could pool resources by, for example, allowing a small EU country to use a consulate belonging to a larger member.

The commission said EU citizens make 80million trips a year outside Europe and up to 50million EU citizens live outside Europe.

There are only three countries outside the EU where all 27 members are represented - China, Russia and the U.S.

The proposals come days before the signing of the European Reform Treaty, formerly the European Constitution, in Lisbon.

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: 'It is a good thing for EU countries to help each others' citizens abroad where they don't have embassies.

'But the EU Commission's proposals go far further than that. This is a clear step towards an EU takeover of British consulates.'