Prodi is Pushing an Outdated Vision of Europe, Says Straw

The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, has comprehensively rejected an ambitious reform package proposed by the European commission president, Romano Prodi.

He especially ruled out moves towards a common foreign policy.

The initial reaction from Downing Street and the Foreign Office on Wednesday was to play down Mr Prodi's document that urged greater European integration and an expanded role for the commission in economic, foreign, criminal and asylum policies.

The Downing Street and Foreign Office guidance to ministers at the time was to simply describe it as "interesting".

But Mr Straw, in an interview with the Guardian before a keynote speech on Europe in Berlin on Monday, dismissed almost all of Mr Prodi's plans.

Mr Straw, who entered the Foreign Office last year with a reputation as the cabinet's leading Eurosceptic, is totally opposed to any moves towards a European superstate.

He said of Mr Prodi's programme: "This is yesterday's agenda, and it is not connected with the world we live in now."

He added that Mr Prodi's views appeared to be based around the tightly-knit trading group that existed when there were only six members, rather than the 15 at present, or the expected increase in memership to 25.

In Berlin, the foreign secretary will set out his own views of where the new enlarged Europe should be heading.

In contrast with Mr Prodi's version, he will stress a need to address the concerns of the "many doubtful Europeans".

In a draft of the Berlin speech, he says that in order to win over public opinion, the EU "will also need to demonstrate that its institutions are prepared to reform to meet concerns about its legitimacy".

"And we also now need to demonstrate that the EU can deliver the policies that people want."

Mr Straw sees a future Europe revolving around the council of ministers, the elected representatives of nation states - rather than the appointed bureaucrats of the commission, Mr Prodi's domain.

He ran through Mr Prodi's list of proposals, and, in effect, rejected all of them, especially a move towards a common foreign policy.

At present, European foreign policy is represented by a confusing array of individuals: Chris Patten, the commission's external affairs spokesman; Javier Solana, the foreign affairs spokesman appointed by the council of ministers; and the foreign ministers of individual countries, such as Mr Straw.

By the end of next week, Mr Patten, Mr Solana and Mr Straw will have made separate visits within the space of a fortnight to India and Pakistan to discuss the Kashmir crisis.

Supporters of Mr Prodi's view would argue that a common foreign policy would give Europe more clout. Mr Prodi wants the commission to have a bigger role, with Mr Solana being brought into the commission and his position merged with Mr Patten's.

But Mr Straw said: "I am resistant to the idea that the commission should have a direct role. I do not agree with Prodi on that."

"Foreign policy is the expression of the nation state. To have a submergence of our foreign policy - that could not happen unless you established a supranational state, and people do not want to go down that road. People need to chill out on this argument."

Mr Straw's attitude towards Europe has evolved since he became home secretary in 1997 and then foreign secretary last year.

He has become less sceptical, admitting to benefits of working with the rest of Europe in some areas. And, although initially opposed to the single currency, he will campaign for it if the time comes.