ALTHOUGH the House of Commons cannot change the EU Constitution ­- the so-called Treaty of Lisbon - it does have a commitment to debate it for some 14 days before the Government tries to ram it through the division lobbies.

Geoffrey Van Orden MEP

ALTHOUGH the House of Commons cannot change the EU Constitution ­- the so-called Treaty of Lisbon - it does have a commitment to debate it for some 14 days before the Government tries to ram it through the division lobbies. In two weeks (19 February), the European Parliament will devote all of three hours to debating the Treaty, ironically preceded by one and a half hours on “The Future of Europe.”

The Treaty of Lisbon's supporters claim that no new powers will be transferred to Brussels, and that the “symbols of European statehood” have been dropped. What then are those blue flags with gold stars that adorn public buildings across Europe? Why do MEPs and Eurocrats leap to their feet and stand to attention when a few bars of Beethoven's 9th Symphony are played?

In Brussels, the proponents of a federal Europe are fulsome in their recognition that the Treaty of Lisbon is essentially the same as the EU Constitution. Indeed, a few days ago the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament noted that “the Treaty of Lisbon is similar in substance to the constitutional treaty of 2004.” This was also the conclusion of the cross-Party European Scrutiny Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons.

According to the think tank Open Europe, 240 of the 250 provisions of the previously rejected EU Constitution are repeated and restored in the Treaty of Lisbon. Just about every continental Prime Minister has applauded the fact that the Constitution is effectively being reenacted.

If it walks like a duck, squawks like a duck and looks like a duck, then it probably is a duck!

The most disarmingly honest description came from the Belgian Foreign Minister, who said: “The aim of the Constitutional treaty was to be more readable; the aim of this treaty is to be unreadable…The Constitution aimed to be clear, whereas this treaty had to be unclear. It is a success.”

The pretence that the Treaty is substantially different to the Constitution is crucial to the Government's refusal to give the British people the referendum that it promised at the last election.

Leaving aside, for a moment, the creation of a permanent President of Europe, an EU Foreign Minister, and a chain of EU embassies, the Treaty will weaken the EU's commitment to undistorted competition in the single market. It also creates for the first time sweeping provisions for its own amendment without recourse to further treaties, and it brings about fundamental change in the institutional structure of the EU -changes that the Government initially opposed, then were happy to define as constitutional in their implications, and now pretend are matters of little importance, about which the people of this country need not be troubled.

If indeed, the Treaty of Lisbon is such a good deal for Britain, then let the Government have the courage of its convictions and put it to a referendum. I know from the thousands of you that have signed my petitions and sent in my referendum postcards, that you are insistent upon having your say on this matter.

It is very important for the future of our country not only that we prevent more powers from being transferred to Brussels, but also that we start recovering them. That is what Conservatives are pledged to do.

Geoffrey Van Orden is Conservative MEP for the East of England focusing on Essex and Suffolk. He can be contacted at 88 Rectory Lane, Chelmsford, Essex CM11RF or by email: gvanorden@europarl.eu.int