A leader in the Sunday Telegraph said that if Gordon Brown does not turn up to sign the EU Constitution in Lisbon it will be "an act of cowardice." A leader in the Mail argues "At worst, it looks like a feeble and cynical attempt to distance Mr Brown from a deeply unpopular measure which he is pushing through without public consent." In the Sunday Telegraph Iain Martin claimed that the cross-party campaign for a referendum has "failed" and reported that since the autumn Gordon Brown has been "very relaxed on the subject in private. With a smile he talked of the 'winding down' of the campaign for a referendum." He also mentioned Open Europe's recent briefing on the EU budget, which showed that Britain is set to contribute £71 billion over the next seven years.
Sunday Telegraph-leader Sunday Telegraph-Martin Iain Martin blog

I Want a Referendum campaign launches in Nottingham
The East Midlands for a Referendum campaign was launched in Nottingham on Friday. East Midlands co-chairman Neville Baxter appeared on the BBC East Midlands Today on the lunchtime and evening bulletins.

In an article in Friday's Manchester Evening News, I Want a Referendum advisory group member Graham Stringer argued "As a Labour MP I know that the reason that the Government is about to break its electoral promise, is not because the new treaty is different from the European Constitution, but because it fears a no vote. This is mistaken - much better and less damaging for the Government to lose an open, fair debate than to be dishonest."
No link

Hans-Martin Tillack: OLAF is part of the problem of EU fraud, not the solution
In the WSJ Hans-Martin Tillack, the German journalist who had his office raided by Belgian police over leaked OLAF reports, argues that "instead of being part of the solution to institutional fraud, OLAF has become part of the problem." A court ruling found that the allegations against Tillack were based on "vague unsustained rumours". He notes that an internal paper for OLAF's own Supervisory Committee back in 2003 concluded that OLAF was incapable of conducting anything more than "simulated investigations." And an ECJ report from 2005 noted that "Files take a very long time to process, the reports submitted are inconclusive and the results are difficult to identify." The Court also noted that even where fraud is eventually uncovered, officials still easily escape punishment for their wrongdoings.
WSJ - Tillack

Owen calls for brakes on further transfer of powers
In an article in the Sunday Times Lord Owen argued that the Conservative Party should promise to put "every conceivable parliamentary brake on the process of integration" by guaranteeing that primary UK legislation would be needed for every further step of EU integration.
Sunday Times

Commissioner to get right of initiative in Foreign Policy?
On his blog Mark Mardell looks at the foreign policy implications of the EU Constitution and reports that Javier Solana is insisting that he will get the right of initiative over foreign policy if the text comes into force.
BBC

Constitutional Treaty will be bad for the City
In an article in the FT David Lascelles argues that the reduction to the UK's blocking power in the EU Constitution will damage the City of London's interests and will lead to more intrusive regulation of financial services.
FT Lascelles

Constitution to be debated in Commons and Foreign Scrutiny Committee
Saturday's Telegraph noted that the revised EU Constitution will be debated in the Commons on Tuesday, while Foreign Secretary David Miliband will face questions on the document in the Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday. It is noted that "rebel" Labour MPs will use these occasions to keep up the pressure on Gordon Brown to hold a referendum on the Treaty. Labour MP Ian Davidson said, "We will have a good number of people there to speak against it - in previous debates, we've had the majority of speakers in the Commons, and we could see that again". Michael Connarty, the Labour chairman of the EU Scrutiny Committee, said: "I am not a Euro-sceptic, but I believe that the Government ought to lance the boil on the treaty by holding a proper debate."
Telegraph

EU symbols to be attached in a declaration to revised EU Constitution
The Coulisses de Bruxelles blog reports that at the wish of sixteen member states, a declaration of support for the EU's symbols - the flag, the anthem, the motto, the euro and Europe Day - will be attached to the revised EU Constitution. Valery Giscard d'Estaing has said it is "unacceptable" that France has not signed the declaration and called on it to do so.
Coulisses de Bruxelles VGE