Show Blair argues for a modernized Europe Janet Los Angeles Times LONDON In a speech to the European Parliament British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday that the European Union must modernize or face failure His address setting out Britain's priorities for its six-month six presidency of the EU beginning July 1 I came a week after a contentious contentious contentious con con- summit which ended in deadlock because of a disagreement between Britain and France over budget reforms Britain refused to back down on its claim to an annual rebate on its contributions to the EU France declined to discuss any change to the sizable subsidies the EU pays European farmers Blair was scolded by French President Jacques Chirac and German Gennan Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and was blamed by the outgoing EU president Luxembourg's prime minister Jean-Claude Jean Juncker for the failure of the summit TIns This is not a time to accuse those who want Europe to change of betraying Europe said Blair who was both applauded and heckled heckled heckled heck heck- led during the speech in Brussels Belgium It is a time to recognize that only by change will Europe recover its strength its relevance L' L Y v British Prime Minister Tony Blair its idealism and therefore its support amongst the people I II I dont don't tl think we quite realize in Europe the competitive economic challenge we face today It is serious and it is urgent he said He pointed to Europe's falling productivity lack of investment in research and development develop develop- ment and low numbers of university science graduates in contrast to growth in all of those sectors by Asian countries particularly India and China At the same time he said there are 20 million million million mil mil- lion unemployed in Europe Blair touted increased investment in public services regenerated cities a falling poverty level among the retired and children and a anew anew anew new deal for the unemployed as evidence that Britain was not in the grip of some extreme Saxon Anglo-Saxon market philosophy that tramples tramples tramples tram tram- ples on the poor and disadvantaged In a swipe at France he said that in a modernized modernized modernized mod mod- Europe the EU would not spend 40 percent of its budget to support its agricultural al policy The failure to reach agreement on a European constitution which was recently rejected in referendums in France and the Netherlands is a sign of discontent among voters concerned with effects of globalization tion job security pensions and living standards standards stan stan- dards Blair said Europe should be equipped to take on more missions of peacekeeping and enforcement enforcement enforce enforce- ment he told the European Parliament With or without NATO a European army should be be able to intervene quickly and effectively in in support of conflict resolution In that way he said Europe would be an active player in foreign policy a good partner to the US U.S. but also capable of demonstrating demonstrating demon demon- its own capacity to shape and move the world forward |