Blair vows not to bend on justice, tax at EU

LONDON: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday he would not agree to a new European Union treaty that gave Europe a greater say over Britain's judicial system or its tax and benefits arrangements.

Spelling out clear guidelines for how far he would go in negotiations on a new EU treaty at a Brussels summit this week, Blair said that if his conditions were met he saw no need for a referendum on the new treaty in Britain.

"Europe needs to work more effectively. What it does not need is a constitutional treaty," Blair told a parliamentary committee.

Blair faces pressure from opposition Conservatives and eurosceptic newspapers which say he must not cede powers to Brussels and must give Britons a vote on any new treaty.

Blair set out four areas where he would not give way at his final EU summit before he steps down on June 27 after a decade as prime minister. 

Europe's leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to try to reach agreement on the outline of a treaty reforming the EU''s institutions -- a slimmed-down version of a proposed EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

"We will not accept a treaty that allows the Charter of Fundamental Rights to change UK law in any way," Blair said, referring to a charter that sets out human and social rights, including the right to strike.   

"We will not agree to something that displaces the role of British foreign policy and our foreign minister," he said.

Blair also ruled out giving up Britain''s national veto over judicial or tax issues.   

"We will not agree to give up our ability to control our common law and judicial and police system," he said.

"We will not agree to anything that moves to qualified majority voting something that can have a big say in our own tax and benefits system. We must have the right in those circumstances to determine it by unanimity," he added.

"If we achieve those four objectives, I defy people to say what it is that is supposed to be so fundamental that could require a referendum," he said.

Blair promised a referendum on the proposed EU constitution, but put it on hold after the Dutch and French 'No' votes.

Blair told the legislators Britain must maintain strong alliances with both the United States and the EU: "Over the last 10 years, Europe has moved immensely in our direction."

He warned Britons against separating from Europe "at the very moment when with a new French president (Nicolas Sarkozy), a new German chancellor (Angela Merkel), the new president of the (European) Commisison (Jose Manuel Barroso), we have people more on the British line of how Europe should develop than we've ever had."

Some of the 18 countries that ratified the initial draft constitution will resist attempts by Britain and others at the summit to water down the new treaty too much.