John Stuart Agnew, on behalf of the EFD Group. – Mr President, here is a classic example of how a subject is hidden by a committee and its rapporteurs from plain sight by skilful use of EU gobbledegook. It sounds like a discussion of genuine constitutional issues, when it is no more or no less than a call for yet another power grab by the EU.

The very first paragraph sets out the objective which is: ‘enhancing the Unionʼs competencies’. Let us be clear what this means. It means increasing the power of the European Union and draining away further power from the nation states.

In the face of the catastrophic failure of the European project, the response is always the same. It is like a football chant. What do we want? More power, more money! When do we want it? Now!

But that, of course, requires a treaty change and that all takes time and the agreement of everyone involved – all those countries – which in the current climate may be hard to get. Nor will the UK Prime Minister be pleased by all of this because, if there is going to be a treaty change, he will have to call a referendum which he will lose.