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Andrew

As the Iraq crisis deepens it would be simple enough to write the European Union out of the script. There is no agreement, clearly, between France and Britain, Europe's two permanent members of the UN Security Council. The great European dilemma about how to treat with the USA is as painfully exposed as it was at the time of Suez and again at the height of the Vietnam War.

Neverthless, it would be an over-simplification to dismiss Europe's efforts to reach agreement over what to do with Saddam Hussein. There is indeed an EU common foreign and security policy. Last week, Tony Blair had to come to Brussels for an emergency meeting of the European Council. He had been reluctant to come, preferring to do business with President Bush alone. In Brussels, however, Mr Blair was forced into a compromise with an effective opposition led by Jacques Chirac of France and Gerhard Schroeder of Germany.

The European Council managed to agree that war must be only a last resort. Any alternative was deemed likely to be better. The European Union's objective for Iraq was confirmed as full and effective disarmament in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The United Nations was affirmed as the central prop of the international order and as the crucial forum to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Tony Blair was forced to concede that the UN weapons inspectors needed more time and resources. In return, it was agreed that the inspections could not "continue indefinitely in the absence of full Iraqi cooperation", and that the military build-up was essential to force Saddam to climb down. A renewed commitment was also made to ending the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

Such an outburst of European solidarity was not expected to last long. It was neither dramatic nor decisive. But it is a good example of how Britain's European obligations as a member of the EU serve to moderate UK policy for the better. The fact is that Mr Blair can count on the support of only two or three other European leaders if he joins the US in a pre-emptive strike against Iraq. He is in a small minority in Europe as he now seems to be in his own country. As the public marches and Wednesday's vote in the Commons have shown, over Iraq Britain is becoming rather European.

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Andrew's work
in the European Parliament since 1999

Andrew is Vice-President of the European Parliament delegation to the Constitutional Convention on the Future of Europe.

Rights for EU citizens

Andrew drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights which has strengthened the rights of all the citizens of the European Union.

Turkey

Andrew is working for improved links between the EU and Turkey, to encourage improvements in Turkey's human rights record and to enhance its democracy.

Andrew's campaigning in the East of England

Airport Expansion

Andrew has led calls for the Air Travel industry to be subjected to the same rigorous environmental criteria as other modes of transport