Media Enquiries
07795 084 113 (24hr)
It is a morsel. A tiny thing. Wafer thin.
The European Commission and CERN – the European Organisation for Nuclear Research – have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
This document (2009/488/EC) expands upon an administrative arrangement dating back to 1994. Why does it catch our eye? Because of a trifle.
Since 1985 the European Communities has enjoyed Observer Status at the CERN Council. It seems that the Commission will henceforth now be able in its own right to attend its European Strategy Sessions, and to take the floor at these sessions.
Annual meetings will explore how to take the process further – "to take stock of progress and possibly discuss further ways to enhance mutual collaboration, including joint activities, or explore potential synergies." The modalities of what this privilege means on a daily basis will be worked out behind the scenes over the coming months
It is a bauble, a thing of no consequence.
And yet, this thinnest, most translucent of slices of the salami proves yet again the reality behind our recent paper on the EU’s representation in the world.
The Lisbon Treaty will only accelerate the trend, as the Communities institutions gain legal identity. Step by step, or shuffle by imperceptible shuffle, the Commission is assuming its role as a world player in its own right. Blink and you will miss it. Long exposure on the other hand will photograph a blur.
Related Posts
-
Politicians don't build nuclear pow...
-
You Know When You've Been Quangoed
-
The Walls Have Ears
-
Hello, Sailor
Lee Rotherham
Lee is a Research Fellow at the TPA. Co-author of the hit Bumper Books of Government Waste, he is an extensively published EU expert and front bench adviser.
