Dear Editor,
Josephine White worries that the Lisbon Treaty gives EU law primacy over national law. In fact this is not new and has always been the case – what would be the point of agreeing common rules with our neighbouring countries if we were all free to ignore it and override it with contradictory national legislation?
To take a topical example, we have agreed common rules across Europe to protect birds when they migrate from our part of Europe to Africa, by banning hunting during the migration season. This will only work if every country sticks to the agreed rules. Should Malta be able to adopt national law allowing for the massive slaughter of these birds, negating the conservation efforts of the rest of Europe, and contradicting the EU legislation they signed up to?
Yours,
Richard Corbett
Labour MEP for Yorkshire & Humber
Blenheim Terrace, Leeds
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