Ashton's frosty Imperial ambitons

Not content with muscling in on the UN, Baroness Ashton has seen a new target for the EU's aggrandisement. The Arctic Council.

According to reports the EU is looking to get permanent Observer status in this body that tries to solve intra-Arctic problems and issues. The EU has tried before to join a group of Observers which currently include France, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom. It has previously been rebuffed.

What Cathy doesn't understand, like many men, is that No can mean No.

I suspect the sticking point is this requirement of Observers,

Recognize Arctic States' sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the Arctic.

Of course once the EU has formal status, how long before it decides it speaks on behalf of the other Observers, such as the UK, and then on behalf of the three EU countries that are full member's, Sweden, Finland and Denmark?