[Discussion] Treaty of Victoria Proposal
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This Council discussion is now open. The first agenda will be debated for 48 hours until 10:40 am Feb 26 2020 GMT.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, United Reichs of Reitzmag
Discussion Proponent -
The United Provinces of Ireland will not sign up to a Schengen agreement. The Irish Government believes in firm borders and controlling who has visa-free access to our small nation. We do want to encourage the free movement of goods and capital between European nations, but when it comes to people a free trade zone is a non-starter. A Eurostar should be relegated to a private company venture as well and is not in the scope of the mandate that the European Union maintains.
Councillor Leo Varadkar
Councillor for the United Provinces of Ireland -
That is why this proposal states that this is an agreement. I will object to any reason that this be made as a law.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, United Reichs of Reitzmag
Discussion Proponent -
Council discussions don't expire. There's no set debate period or anything and further action on one is not required. It's just a free session to talk, brainstorm, explore options, etc. on whatever topic.
The Union of Duxburian Dominions unfortunately can't support global free movement. Our internal laws often vary greatly from others in the region and thus we must maintain control over border policy. Our government programs and economy aren't meant to handle unfettered immigration and we stand to lose more than benefit.
We are always open to greater economic cooperation, but again, with careful management and regulation to ensure that all sides benefit and domestic industries are not harmed by cheaper foreign competition.
We are very interested in connecting to the rest of the region by rail, although we only have a land connection as of now. Going to Spain would require the construction of a long, multi-billion kael tunnel in a sensitive military and environmental area of our country. It would require very careful planning and incredible engineering to pull off, but we are open to exploring the possibility.
Wesley Greene
Councillor of the Duxburian Union -
I've set limits for discussing the topic to give time for each agenda to be properly analyzed and/or examined whether to take a specific action or anything else.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, United Reichs of Reitzmag
Discussion Proponent -
Spain, as a driving force on the Treaty of Victoria proposal, will sign up to every single article on this treaty. Borders will still be safe, not as others say, and even the country will have control over them. Setting up a Schengen area doesn't mean that you'll lose control over your clay, borders or citizens, that seems to be a problem to many councillors here. People should be free on moving from an European country into another. That will make tourism grow, and also inmigration, could be, but inmigration also brings benefits and workers to your country.
Otherwise, they'd like to enter the free movement of goods and capitals between European Nations. So, this is what we call in Spain, translated to English, of curse, "a yes but no". It's not fair that you don't give freedom to the European people on terms of free-movement between countries, but you give freedom to commerce and transportation of goods. I think we should sign up to every single Schengen zone article, not only to those that interest your home nation.
Finally, the Eurostar proposal it's simply fantastic. In my opinion, cooperation between Spanish rail enterprises as ADIF, National Rail or Virgin and the Royal Rail Transit from the United Reichs of Reitzmag it's crucial to make this project work. Mr. Varadkar, if Eurostar finally becomes a thing, it will be managed by a state-owned Spanish company, and every single country will have representation on this enterprise, through their national rail managment company. Answering to Mrs. Greene, the Eurostar would connect to the Spanish Peninsula via Angleter and Red Croatia or the south, where Plot 43 is located, reducing costs. Also, rail tracks can be upgraded, reducing the amount of new tracks that would need to be build. Here you have a copy of the proposed Eurostar's route.
Donald Tusk
Councillor of the Kingdom Of Spain
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The United Provinces of Ireland will vote against the proposal if it is meant to be a council proposal. If this is truly a treaty in which parties can sign up to of their own accord, then it does not belong in the Council. It belongs in a discussion regarding International Organisations independent of the European Council.
Leo Varadkar
Councillor for the United Provinces of Ireland -
This discussion is intended so that the goal of this treaty that all EU member-states to participate and sign. The best way that the contents of the treaty be agreed is to open up a council discussion where each member-state may give their thoughts on amending or supporting the initial draft of the agreement.
I definitely agree to the reasons provided by Spain to encourage all of us to sign this treaty. I want to also emphasize how the primary agenda of the treaty matches the motto of the EU. Visa-free travel may bind us EU nations even though we have territorial borders. And this may be supported by the EuroStar train project.Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, United Reichs of Reitzmag
Discussion Proponent -
The current draft of the treaty shows the following:
PREAMBLE
We the members of the European Union,
Aiming to establish better relations and greater solidarity,
In all factors including territorial and economic rights,
Hereby present this treaty and all of its contentsARTICLE ONE. INTRODUCTION and GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Declaration of Agenda; The primary purpose of this treaty is to promote and establish the following within Europe:- Visa-free entry and the Abolition of checks at internal borders and the free movement of persons
- Recognition of Inter-European Trade and Industry Cooperation
- Development of Trans-European Transportation (Eurostar Train System)
Section 2. Declaration of Principles; This agreement pursues nurturing balance on Authority and Liberty between all of Europe. And that the signatories believe that the European mission is to share and build bridges between countries which agrees to the motto of the European Union.
Section 3. Recognition of Rights; Pursuant to the above-declared principles, the following rights of signatories are hereby sought to be recognized and the institutions of European Union shall seek to guarantee its fulfillment:- The right to be informed of the status of the implementation of this agreement and all of its established content.
- The right to participate in the formulation, planning, implementation and monitoring of established programs and in the decision-making process.
ARTICLE TWO. Visa-free entry and the Abolition of checks at internal borders and the free movement of persons
Section 1. Declaration of Supported Statements ; Pursuant to the ARTICLE ONE of this agreement, signatory states shall abolish checks at their common borders and allow visa-free entry of nationals from fellow signatory states. This is supported and specified by the following statements:AWARE that the ever closer union of the people of the Signatory States should find its expression in the freedom to cross internal borders for all nationals of the Signatory States and in the free movement of goods and services,
ANXIOUS to strengthen the solidarity between their peoples by removing the obstacles to free movement at the common borders between the Signatory States,
CONSIDERING the progress already achieved within the European Communities with a view to ensuring the free movement of persons, goods and services,
PROMPTED by the resolve to achieve the abolition of checks at their common borders on the movement of nationals of the signatories and to facilitate the movement of goods and services at those borders,
CONSIDERING that application of this Agreement may require legislative measures which will have to be submitted to the parliaments of the Signatory States in accordance with their constitutions,Section 2. Declaration of Policies; This portion of the agreement hereby establishes the following policies that shall mandatorily be implemented within each Signatory State:
a) Unrestricted cross-border access of individuals between signatory states.
b) Unrestricted entry of nationals from fellow signatory states.
c) Limitation of visiting period of nationals from fellow signatory states to 3 months for every 6 months.
d) Requirement of submission of a statement that allows entry and exit of legal tender with an amount equal to € 10, 000.
e) Inhibition of entry and exit of items that are dangerous and considered illegal between signatory states.
f) Unrestricted deployment of security personnel on borders provided that security personnel may only be posted on the border within the territory of the signatory state.ARTICLE THREE. Recognition of Inter-European Trade and Industry Cooperation
Section 1. Declaration of Supported Statements; Pursuant to the ARTICLE ONE of this agreement, signatory states will be granted more liberal rights on trade and industry. This may be supported by the motto of the European Union in which represents the main objective of the member-states of the organization.
Section 2. Declaration of Policies; This portion of the agreement hereby establishes the following policies that shall mandatorily be implemented within each Signatory State:
a) Limitation of business ownership of foreigners from a fellow signatory state to 30%.
b) Unrestricted establishment of foreign business branches originating from a fellow signatory state.ARTICLE FOUR. Development of Trans-European Transportation (Eurostar)
Section 1. Declaration of Supported Statements; Pursuant to the ARTICLE ONE of this agreement, a trans-European railway system will be built which will have the following specifications:
a) The trans-European railway system will be known as EuroStar.
b) The EuroStar will have routes through each signatory state.
c) The EuroStar will have stations on each signatory state.
d) The EuroStar may be connected to an existing national railway system if permitted.
Section 2. Declaration of Policies; This portion of the agreement hereby establishes the following policies that shall mandatorily be implemented within each Signatory State:
a) Construction of at least one station per signatory state.
b) Application of ARTICLE TWO of this agreement.
c) Unrestricted admission of non-signatory state nationals to the EuroStar ride given that ticket price shall be higher by 5% than the prices for signatory state nationals. -
Again, why is the council debating something that nations have to sign up for? This belongs in the International Organisations discussions!
Leo Varadkar
Councillor for the United Provinces of Ireland -
This is not a debate Coun. Varadkar, this is mainly a discussion to further develop or amend what the contents of the treaty document has now. The only way that EU member-states can communicate easily is through their official representative in the Eu which takes the form of the Councilor. The main goal is to save the time of us councilors upon going a long-term summit to discuss this matters by going to the summit at the day of the Treaty signing.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, United Reichs of Reitzmag
Discussion Proponent -
If it is a voluntary treaty, nations who will want to participate can send their head of government to participate. Why are we forcing the Council to discuss something that ultimately is not going to be legislated as European wide law but instead something voluntary for nations to sign up for like the old European Economic Community.
((OOC: Okay, seriously. If this is supposed to be something people volunteer for this is not the way to go about discussing it.))
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Then, I suggest that this discussion be left to the European Assembly. It will be the best way to communicate between heads of states and/or governments and their cabinet.
Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, United Reichs of Reitzmag
Discussion Proponent -
This certainly is an interesting treaty, and I would be among the first to welcome further inter-European trade and industry cooperation, as well as expanded transportation networks between European states.
However, as already pointed out, the scope of this treaty goes way beyond the scope or duties of the European Council . For future reference, the Council is tasked with passing laws and motions which are politically binding, and thus any future opt-in treaties really ought to be discussed either bilaterally or multilaterally elsewhere. The Council is always open for discussion, but such discussion is most effectively used when it aims to ultimately produce a law or motion that is binding, tangible, and often EU-wide.
I appreciate the intentions of Cllr. van Allen and Cllr. Tusk, and would like to therefore gently advise them against pursuing this further with the so-called European Assembly, unless they're purposely looking to endure a second round of disappointment. The European Assembly, in all its glorious history, has never convened together, and I can save my Councillor friends here a lot of time by warning them that it certainly won't make an exception for this. The only reason the European Assembly exists in the first place is because it was passed by an incognito 2-0 vote when most of the Council was not present. To say that the European Assembly is both a useless and unwanted institution is an understatement, and I say that humbly as one of the most pro-EU Councillors who takes exceptional effort in defending most of our region's institutions. Besides, as this discussion has made clear, there is already massive government opposition to this from multiple EU member states. Taking this to the Assembly won't cure that.
Lastly, I would like to kindly remind the Councillor of Reitzmag that the EU's instutions aren't the be-all-end-all of international diplomacy. In fact, for the most part, the EU's institutions themselves account for a very small portion of regional diplomacy. This treaty is probably best served to be pursued by the governments of Reitzmag and Spain with the foreign ministries of other countries in a capacity outside of the Council, Assembly, etc. As already made clear here, the governments of Gallorum and the Duxburian Union are not interested, and I highly suspect the government of Angleter wouldn't be interested either. I can also save you the time by saying the government of Inquista also wouldn't be interested. So take that as you will.
Anyway, best of luck on this, I have a late-night SoulCycle class that I need to attend to, so I need to leave this discussion immediately. I delegate the rest of this discussion to the Deputy Speaker.
Edward Firoux
Council Speaker and Councillor for Inquista -
In response to the opposition of the other councilors, PM Mark Johnson wants to inform the council of the following:
"Due to the opposition of the councilors, the Treaty of Victoria may be signed according to preferred articles but shall automatically be signed together with Article One"
Following this statement, the Treaty of Victoria will now proceed to signing via summit at Victoria City, Reich of Zucheibstein, URR.Friedrich van Allen
Councilor, United Reichs of Reitzmag
Discussion Proponent
The Kingdom of Spain
