Myths about the European Constitution - FCO Fact Sheet #3

FCO Fact Sheet #3
deals with Myth No. 3:

Myth #3: 'Primacy' means that the EU controls our laws

We are not sure that this "myth" is properly phrased because we doubt if most Europeans could define "primacy" in the context of European Union lawmaking. The FCO defines as follows:

"Primacy simply means everybody sticking to the rules that we agree at European level."

What this "myth" addresses is the legitimate issue of "legal sovereignty" and the question of whether EU Member States give up a part of that legal sovereignty by being members of the European Union.

The answer is: of course they do. The EU is not a loose conglomeration of friends making up a local club. Rather, the European Union is trying for the first time in the history of Europe to unite the historically embattled countries of its membership. As in any unification - even at the simplest level of two, as in a marriage - compromises must be made and certain individual powers must be curtailed for the common good of the alliance.

The compromise of power has been going on since the establishment of the EU and will continue to go on as the European Union develops. The problem raised here for the EU Member States is no different than the constant battle in the USA between "Federal Powers" and "State's Rights", a fruitful battle of checks and balances which has been under way ever since America was founded.

At the social level, Sigmund Freud covered this problem in his book, Civilization and its Discontents, identifying the constant struggle of each person between being both an individual but at the same time being a member of the community. Europe too is learning that survival in the modern world will only be possible through a joint unified effort of its Member States.

You have to give some to get some.