It is not clear if Germany means to give the EU greater scope for action or treat it, as many others do, as the mere servant of national governments.

ECONOMIST: France, Germany and the European Union

British Labour MEP Linda McAvan was more critical, and disagreed with Commissioner Dalli's claim that ethical considerations were outside of the scope of EU legislation.

BBC: Cloned meat debate

Others, including the Maastricht veteran, Bill Cash, simply didn't believe that the EU would be prepared to give Britain what it wanted - to which the retort was that the current crisis gave Britain a lot of leverage, and that the EU needed Britain more than Britain needed the EU, so there was plenty of scope for negotiation.

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EU's trade commissioner, agreed recently that their scope should be broadened to include agriculture.

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In it, the Commission's general secretary, Catherine Day, says the policy is "within the scope of the goals and objectives of the EU strategy to support member states in reducing alcohol-related harm".

BBC: Minimum pricing having a difficult birth in Scotland

Germany says the EU should now seek an all-embracing deal, including on the size and scope of the bail-out fund, in time for the next summit in March.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne: The name's Bond. Eurobond | The