EU Review & Call to Prayer (EURCP) – EU 2?

Our primary purpose is not to advocate issues, but a call to prayer about issues - issues that might impact the Christian community of Europe, and the rest of the world. As the EU government agencies begin to define the rule of law for the new Europe, only through prayer and involvement, can the Christians act effectively for their governing legislation and policies?

The EU is at a pause or a new beginning. Our one comment is that Europeans have demonstrated a need to know more about what the issues are and what the recommendations are. This may take some time and some discussions between east and west Europe. Also much praying by European Christians. This is good. We will try to provide help with this information. Let us join in prayer that the following information will help make this possible.

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17 June 2005, EUReview & Call to Prayer Ministries – Hugh E. and Norma Jenson Davis

ARTICLES some with links [in FR and DE included] and prayer requests

Is a double negative positive? (EU Constitution process), [YWAM]

Press Review: Europe Smashed to Pieces [DW]

EU Leaders Deadlocked on Budget [DW]

Europe’s painful summit [The Economist]

Europe's Dutch and French citizens, in rejecting the constitution, [EUbusiness Week]

Köhler Halts Ratification of EU Constitution [DW]

Villepin wants union with Germany in key areas [EUObserver]

Merkel would slow EU growth, aide says [iht]

Nations Blame Bureaucrats for EU Crisis [AP]

Europe turns on France as Britain wins new allies [EUObserver]

Eurosceptic MEPs call for fresh start [EUObserver]

A new political vision based on the euro [ft/fxcentre]

EU leaders abandon constitution deadline [EUObserver]

The Word to pray [1 Timothy 2: 1 "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." [Prayers that implement God’s Word]. John 15: 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who ABIDES in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If you ABIDE in Me, and My Words ABIDE in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” [The conditions for freedom] 2Chronicles 7:14” if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Is a double negative positive? [EU Constitution process]

w e e k l y w o r d YWAM Europe, Jeff Fountain

06 Jun/05

http://www.ywameurope.org/index2.htm

“More importantly, what kind of Europe does God want? Can any of us mortals know what God wants?”

THE PROFESSOR WAS EXPLAINING TO HIS STUDENTS that, while in many languages a double negative made a positive, a double positive never made a negative. From the back of the lecture hall came the cynical response, "Yeah, right!"

Could last week's double negative–from the French and the Dutch–turn out to be a positive for Europe?

And would a double positive therefore have been negative in the long run? The morning after the Dutch vote I was in England and watched the results on the BBC. I can still see that wildly jubilant crowd of 'nee' voters responding to the news of the almost 2-to-1 margin. My first thoughts went to the new East European member and would-be member nations. I imagined their disappointment and confusion watching the Dutch so happy about reversing the progress 'towards ever closer union'. And what would the Turks be thinking about such a display of overt rejection? Of course, that's not what all the Dutch and the French were saying. But some certainly were.

Just what they were saying is not very clear, other than that they were not very happy with their politicians. Thegap between the political elite and the people was wider than anyone had realised. Those strutting the corridors of power had failed to lead their constituencies by the hand. The referendum had been the occasion for

the public to voice their general discontent on a whole range of issues. Fears played a big role: of a 'superstate', of big bully nations, of the 'Polish plumber' who would steal jobs, of loss of national sovereignty, of unbridled liberalist capitalism, of too much centralisation, of rising prices, of Muslim immigrants...

What brought me to England on this day was an invitation to address the European Forum of Bible Agencies. Without intending a reference to the previous day's events, the chairman opened with a reading from Numbers

Chapter 14, about the spies returning from checking out the Promised Land. I wryly smiled at the appropriateness of the chapter heading in my Bible: 'The people rebel'. It is the story of the Israelites' refusal to enter the land of milk and honey because of the giants. So when I came to the podium to share about Hope for Europe, I mused out loud if Holland's Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende might not be reading from the same chapter that morning to his Christian Democratic colleagues!

Certainly politicians in 25 capitals have been left wondering if they are now doomed to years of wandering around in the wilderness, operating under the clumsy old procedures designed for half the number of member states than is now the case. Some are trying to put on a brave face, hoping to salvage some elements of the constitution's draft. The British have put their referendum on hold, arguing that the constitution is simply dead, if not buried. The EU summit in Luxembourg next week will likely be a tense, acrimonious affair.

POSITIVE?

So what could be positive about this double negative?

Firstly, never has there been so much public discussion about the future of Europe. That is positive in itself, even if much of the Christian talk has been reactive rather than proactive. Why is it that we Christians can better articulate what we don't want rather than we what we do want?

Perhaps a double positive would have simply killed further discussion among Christians. We could have shrugged our shoulders and crawled back into our Christian ghettos, preoccupying ourselves again with church activities. That would have been negative. But where do we want things to go now? What kind of Europe do we want? And how can we get there?

More importantly, what kind of Europe does God want? Can any of us mortals know what God wants?

My answer is: YES! That is what Jesus taught us to pray for: a Europe where God's will was being done in increasing measure in every place, among every people group, and in every life sphere. That's what it means to pray for God's kingdom to come in Europe as it is in heaven. It is for his will to be done. And surely it is his will for his will to be done in Europe, right?

PRAY THAT ONLY GOD’S PLAN FOR EUROPE WILL BE THE ONE THAT SUCCEEDS

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Press Review: Europe Smashed to Pieces

17.06.2005

http://www.dw-world.de/dwelle/cda/popups/dwelle.cda.popups.drucken/0,,7549_AD_1619143_A,00.html

EU leaders on Thursday decided to halt the ratification process of the proposed constitution to give the union time to reflect. European papers largely condemned the move, saying it was an expression of weakness. Le Figaro in Paris described the delay as surrealistic. "Technically this means that the constitution will be put on ice for a year and a half in order to avoid burying it," the paper wrote. "Basically, British pragmatism has won: 'It's better to take a long break than widen the crisis.'"

Vienna's Kurier called the decision "politically irresponsible and dangerous. Europe cannot afford a standstill. It's also unwise to continue the ratifcation process -- that's like asking people to vote on a dead body."

Milan's Corriere della Sera saw Europe smashed to pieces: "The French and Dutch 'no' to the constitution have set off an avalanche and the conflict between French President Chirac and British Premier Blair over EU finances has added a further crisis. Under different circumstances, a compromise could have been found. But what would have been easy in a healthy EU is almost impossible now."

Rzeczpospolita in Warsaw thought that Europe's leaders were simply clueless about how to go on. "Six or 12 extra months won't change anything," the paper wrote. "We're certainly at the beginning of a long crisis for integration." But the daily added that the current situation might turn out to be a positive thing for the EU. "The union doesn't have a choice any more. It can deal with its problems, but only if it becomes a world power whose citizens completely identify with it."

PRAY THAT FRANCE, BRITAIN AND ALL INSIST ON WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR CITIZENS

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EU Leaders Deadlocked on Budget

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1619776,00.html

Luxembourg's Juncker did what he could, but it wasn't enough

Despite a last-ditch bid Friday to break a deadlock between Britain and France over future EU financing, the UK rejected a French concession on an EU rebate, preventing the bloc from agreeing on a 2007 - 2013 budget.

Current EU president, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg, called Tony Blair and several other EU leaders into a crisis meeting late in the day to make a final offer in order to secure an agreement for the budget. But according to British government spokesperson, the UK rejected the offer.

PRAY THAT THE CHOSEN BUDGET PRIORITIES ARE BEST FOR ALL CITIZENS

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Europe’s painful summit

http://www.economist.com/agenda/PrinterFriendly.cfm?Story_ID=4077922

[SEE LINK FOR FULL ARTICLE]

Jun 17th 2005 From The Economist Global Agenda

At a summit in Brussels, leaders have agreed to put the European Union’s proposed constitution on hold, but a deal on the EU's budget looks unlikely. Nor is much progress expected on the long-term challenges of economic reform and enlargement

THE European Union has faced crisis before. The 1970s are widely considered a lost decade for European integration. In the 1990s, Danish voters rejected the Maastricht treaty. And Irish voters did the same with the Nice treaty in 2001. So while French and Dutch voters have recently delivered a stinging slap in the face for “ever closer union” between the EU’s 25 members, by voting to reject the Union’s proposed constitution, the show will go on. On Thursday and Friday of this week, the leaders of the EU’s member states are meeting in Brussels to try to determine exactly how.

The first thing the summit has had to determine is what to do about the constitution. It would have made some (mostly sensible) reforms to the EU’s voting system and created a longer-term presidency. It would have also given Brussels power over more areas of formerly domestic policy (such as some bits of justice and home affairs). But the French and the Dutch associated the document with a whole host of mostly unrelated things, such as EU enlargement, and blew it an almighty raspberry in referendums on May 29th and June 1st respectively.

PRAY THAT THE ISSUE OF EU AUTHORITY WILL RIGHTLY DEFINE HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

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Europe's Dutch and French citizens, in rejecting the constitution,

Publisher's Note EUbusiness Week - Issue 269 3 June 2005 www.eubusiness.com

http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/050602065838.jvac2auf

http://www.eubusiness.com/Constitution

Europe's Dutch and French citizens, in rejecting the constitution, have not so much expressed opposition to the EU as insecurity about their economies and distrust of their national leadership.

Some politicians may now take the opportunity to give in to populist anti-Europe rhetoric and focus more on national priorities. Yet the EU single market remains essential to the achievement of increases in living standards in Member States, old as well as new. EU leaders will be looking to regain the trust of the people at their June summit. Giving up some of their power in favour of a stronger Parliament and more accountable Commission should have moved up their agenda.

Regards, Nick Prag Publisher, EUbusiness

PRAY THAT THE DEBATE ON RATICFICATION WILL BETTER INFORM THE EUROPEANS.

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Köhler Halts Ratification of EU Constitution 15.06.2005

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,1617298,00.html?maca=en-bulletin-433-html

German President Horst Köhler on Wednesday decided to halt his country's ratification of the EU constitution as Germany's highest court is still reviewing an appeal against the treaty's approval.

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Villepin wants union with Germany in key areas - 09.06.2005 - 10:07

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

New French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin called for an economically

strong and united Europe, and for a union between Germany and France in

certain areas.

Article >> http://euobserver.com/?aid=19286&rk=1

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Merkel would slow EU growth, aide says

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/06/news/berlin.php

[SEE LINK FOR FULL ARTICLE]

BERLIN A German government led by Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats would recast its foreign policy by slowing down the expansion of the European Union, adopting a much more critical stance toward Russia and rebuilding its relationship with the United States, according to a key adviser. "The no votes in France and the Netherlands have shown, among other things that there is a deep crisis over the idea of enlargement," said Friedbert Pflüger, foreign affairs spokesman for the parliamentary faction of the Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party, the conservative Christian Social Union. "It is absolutely necessary that the EU consolidates and defines its identity and borders," Pflüger said in a wide-ranging interview devoted to foreign policy. "We want a very close relationship with Turkey. It is a very important NATO partner. But full membership of Turkey would overstretch and overburden the EU. We believe that a privileged partnership would be better."

PRAY FOR GOD’S WILL IN THE GERMAN ELECTION AND FOR WISDOM IN ITS LEADERSHIP.

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Nations Blame Bureaucrats for EU Crisis

By RAF CASERT

.c The Associated Press

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Bureaucrats. Even worse - Eurocrats. The gray suits making decisions behind closed doors come under criticism and scorn whenever something goes wrong in the European Union. It was no different when two referendums on the bloc's historic constitution went horribly awry, and now there are increasing calls for more accountability and closer scrutiny of the perks enjoyed by the unelected bureaucrats who play a key role in determining Europe's future.

People begrudge them their high salaries - a top bureaucrat makes up to $210,000 a year before taxes - and perks like paid trips home and a tax break on buying cars. A few high-profile fraud cases have further hurt their image.``Too many laws, too many regulations, the bureaucracy,'' groused Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, explaining Europe's latest crisis - the stunning double punch against the charter this week by France and the Netherlands. [SEE AP RELEASE FOR FULL ARTICLE]

PRAY FOR FULL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL GOVERNMENT LEADERS.

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Europe turns on France as Britain wins new allies

From Philip Webster and Anthony Browne in Brussels June 17, 2005

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-13090-1657813-13090,00.html

[SEE LINK FOR FULL ARTICLE]

JACQUES CHIRAC suffered a double blow as the EU summit opened last night when he was forced to admit defeat over the European constitution, and Tony Blair won powerful allies for his campaign to cut French agricultural subsidies.

Mr Blair feared isolation in his battle over Britain’s £3 billion rebate unless there was a thorough overhaul of EU farm spending as well. But Dutch and Swedish leaders backed the Prime Minister’s call for the £600 billion budget to be reduced, and Mr Blair received a surprise incentive to stall in negotiations when the conservative politician expected to be Germany’s next leader told France to cut back its agricultural subsidies.

Angela Merkel, favourite to replace Gerhard Schröder in September, said that it was unreasonable to expect Britain to surrender its rebate if France would not cut farm subsidies. As one of the most momentous summits in years opened in Brussels, EU leaders agreed to put the constitutional treaty rejected by France and the Netherlands into deep freeze.

PRAY FOR THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN MAJOR ISSUES IN EU POLICY RESOLUTIONS

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Eurosceptic MEPs call for fresh start

16.06.2005 - 09:58 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva

Article >> http://euobserver.com/?aid=19344&rk=1

Eurosceptics from the European Parliament have proposed to start afresh the process of drawing up a new treaty, after the EU constitution was rejected in France and the Netherlands. Calling themselves the Referendum group, their Plan D (democracy) has seven proposals "for a better Europe" and suggests the current treaty be dropped, as it is "dead" anyway. SEE LINK FPOR FULL ARTICLE]

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A new vision based on the euro

Wolfgang Munchau: FT Sunday, 12th June 2005 09.10pm

http://www.fxcentre.co.uk/uk/news.asp?ukts+20050612_8153_18260

"If the Europe of 25 fails, what option remains for France? The idea of a Franco-German approach." (Dominique de Villepin, November 2003) As French foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin already had a Plan B for European integration two years ago. Last week he repeated his call for a Franco-German union in his address to the French National Assembly, this time as prime minister.

It is no accident that the idea of a core Europe is coming up now. When European Union leaders meet at their summit in Brussels this week, they will be staring at the political void the French and Dutch electorates have left them: no more enlargement, no more integration, no more liberalisation. All that is left is the prospect of a row over the British rebate from the EU budget.

This is depressing for a pro-European, unless you shift the parameters. By rejecting the constitution, the French and Dutch electorates ended political integration at the level of all 25 EU members for the time being. The only way for integration to continue now is to move down a level, towards a hard core.

This raises two immediate questions: which countries should take part in a core? And what should such a core do? The concept did not take off in the past because its proponents tended to have multiple answers to the first question, and none to the second.

I can think of four broad scenarios for a core Europe, of which only one can answer both questions satisfactorily. Mr de Villepin's scenario for a Franco-German union cannot really answer the second question. The French and Germans are afraid of the same things - Anglo-Saxon capitalism, globalisation - but they lack a common positive agenda.

The eurozone also has a simple and clear common political interest, to succeed economically under the euro. It is also by far the least discriminatory hard core imaginable. It is open to every member of the EU.

[SEE LINK FOR FULL ARTICLE]

wolfgang.munchau@ft.com Copyright The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved.

fxcentre.co.uk has no control over the content of this material which has been provided by FT.com and therefore we cannot accept any responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions which it may contain. Any opinions expressed in it should not be taken as having been endorsed by us.

PRAY FOR WISDOM AND TIMING AS TO THE ROLE OF THE EURO IN THE EU.

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EU leaders abandon constitution deadline

17.06.2005 - 01:04 CET | By Honor Mahony

Article >> http://euobserver.com/?aid=19349&rk=1

[EXCERPT- see link for full article]

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU leaders meeting in Brussels have agreed a "period of reflection" on the constitution amid fears that a knock-on effect would mean the document would be rejected in countries still planning to have referendums.

Governments are to come together in one year, under the Austrian EU presidency, to take stock of the situation. However, they stressed that the constitution itself will not be renegotiated and that ratification will continue.

Announcing the decision, Luxembourg prime minister and current head of the EU Jean-Claude Juncker said "we all believe that the constitution is the right answer to the many questions of the European people. "We believe ratification must continue". But it will be up to national governments when to ratify and how - with the process not likely to be ended before mid-2007, according to Mr Juncker.

The current deadline of end of October 2006 "is no longer tenable" said the prime minister who stressed that countries that want to ratify the document via their parliaments may do so while member states planning to have referendums "will decide autonomously when those referendums are to be organised".

PRAY THAT GOD’S PERFECT TIMING WILL DIRECT THE EU DEBATE AND DECISIONS.

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EUReview & Call to Prayer Ministries is conducting this multi-denominational ministry under the mission program of the Assemblies of God Western Europe office outside of Brussels, Belgium. The mailing address there is: EMC/EURCP (Gerald Branum.) 45 Chaussee de Waterloo, 1640 Rhode Saint Genese, BELGIUM

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