The Telegraph reports that EU Commissioner Margot Wallstrom has said the Charter will apply to large parts of British law, despite UK Government claims that the opt-out will prevent this. Wallstrom said the Charter will be binding for member states when they implement EU law, and EU officials therefore predict Britain's opt-out on the European working time directive, for instance, will be challenged in the courts in Brussels because it affects European laws.

The Commission's legal service estimates that British opt-outs to the charter are "limited" and the Telegraph quotes one legal source saying that "the opt-out is potentially very thin". The paper also reports that MEPs are planning to sponsor early challenges to Britain's opt-outs. The Telegraph quotes Open Europe’s director Neil O'Brien as saying, "Trying to stop the charter changing our laws will be like trying to carry water in a sieve."
Telegraph

A new opinion poll in Sweden shows that 67% of all Swedes want a referendum on the new EU treaty, a majority is against the proposed text and 55% want the treaty to include a formal Swedish opt-out from joining the euro.
Dagens Nyheter

Brown talks about "rebuilding the connections between the institutions of the state and the people they serve" - but rules out referendum

PA reports that Gordon Brown yesterday told MPs that the new summer statement will mean that "initial thinking, previously private, can now be the subject of widespread and informed public consultation". The Prime Minister described how he hoped the project would contribute towards "rebuilding the connections between the institutions of the state and the people they serve". But Conservatives questioned whether Brown was really ready to listen to voters, pointing out that his programme did not include a bill to hold a referendum on the EU treaty, which opinion polls suggest has strong public backing.
No link