"New EU Logo Reveals All" says British MEP

Austrian Presidency "Tells It Like It Is"



The new EU logo symbolising the six-month Austrian presidency of the European Council was today heavily criticised by a British Member of the European Parliament, Ashley Mote, who sits as an independent for south-east England.

Mr Mote has written to the European Council to ask:

"Does the symbolism of the bar-code logo of the EU's Austrian presidency (www.eu2006.at) confirm the "one size fits all" attitude that pervades the EU?  And why did they omit a "sell by" date to complete the message?

"Did the Austrian presidency deliberately decide not to identify clearly at least 11 of the 25 member states?  Are they sending a message to the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom that they are second-class members of the EU - a situation that at least some of them already suspect?"

The Council is obliged to respond within a month. 

The new logo was launched as Austria took over from the UK, whose six-month presidency ended in December.  Since the British government's presidency was widely regarded as a disaster for both Brussels and Tony Blair, the Austrians were hoping to set a new and different tone.  The logo was meant to reflect that change.

Mr Mote commented:  "It was not perhaps what they intended, but the Austrians' logo has inadvertently revealed their thinking about the EU.  I am sure it reflects the cocooned majority in Brussels, which at least removes any remaining doubts for the rest of us."

(ends)
EU Ratspräsidentschaft 2006