Brussels, 21/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - Preparations for the Copenhagen conference on climate change (December) and the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon by the Czech Republic- the two main subjects on the agenda of next week's European Council (29-30 October) - were also central to the debate held by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday 21 October, with Cecilia Malmström (Swedish Presidency) and President of the Commission José Manuel Barroso.
Climate change will be the "main issue" of the summit, which is hoped will lead to an agreement on the international funding of efforts to reduce emissions to be made by the developing countries, and on the division of this burden among the member states, Ms Malmström stressed. As the Ecofin Council had not managed to conclude an agreement of this kind on Tuesday (EUROPE 10002), the dossier will be on the table of the "leaders"). The Swedish European affairs minister acknowledged that international negotiations were not making good progress, but said that she was "still optimistic that we can reach a compromise in Copenhagen". Mr Barroso shares this view. Even though, 50 days ahead of the meeting, progress with the preparations is still "slow", "it is still possible that an agreement can be reached in Copenhagen", he said. In any case, the EU must "keep the impetus" and above all, not scale down its ambitions, because this would give others a "pretext" not to budge. The EU must financially assist in developing countries (the Commission estimates the total need between now and 2020 at €100 billion, the lion's share of which is to be funded by the countries in question themselves and by revenue from carbon market). "The longer we wait (to help these countries), the higher costs will be", Mr Barroso warned. The European Council must therefore "take its responsibility". In any case, "there is no plan B in Copenhagen because we do not have a planet B", he concluded.
Regarding the Treaty of Lisbon, Ms Malmström did not present the MEPs with any new elements. "At the summit, we will seek to obtain greater clarity on the process of ratification in the Czech Republic", she said. In reality, the 26 expect that the Czech Prime Minister, Jan Fischer, will present, on behalf of his country, a request for a "guarantee" regarding the non-retroactivity of the Charter of Fundamental Rights on the expropriation measures taken in Czechoslovakia after the war, on the basis of the "Benes decrees". The 26 are likely to be prepared to give the guarantee in the form of a decision (as was the case with the Irish guarantees) or a simple political declaration, which could then be made into a protocol to be annexed to the Treaty of Lisbon at a forthcoming wave of enlargement. The problem remains, however, of the complaint before the Czech Constitutional Court. The EU will "of course" respect the timetable of the Court, which will hold a hearing on 27 October, 10 days before the summit. The verdict is likely to follow "very soon after the hearing, but we do not have a date", said Ms Malmström. Mr Barroso voiced his hopes that Mr Klaus would not invent any new "artificial obstacles" and that he would respect the "democratic will" expressed by the Czech government and parliament. The implication of the new treaty will also be discussed by the leaders, who are to adopt guidelines for the future European External Action Service (EEAS). Mr Barroso stressed that the service would not be an inter-governmental body, but that it would work in accordance with the "Community method". The MEPs broadly supported this approach and pleaded in favour of "democratic controls" of the service by the EP (see below).
Ms Malmström also referred briefly to the main other subjects on the agenda of the European Council, which are: - the supervision of the financial markets. Further to the agreement in principle of the Ecofin Council on the creation of a European Systematic Risk Board (ESRB, EUROPE 10002), it is the ambition of the Presidency to achieve a global agreement on the legislative package reforming the European financial supervision system "by the end of the year", Ms Malmström announced; - immigration policy. The Swedish Presidency wants to "encourage work on a long-term solution and a global strategy"; - employment. The first signs that the economy is bouncing back are there, but the situation on the employment market is likely to get worse over the coming months, Ms Malmström noted; - external relations. The European Council could adopt plans to step up the EU's efforts in Afghanistan/Pakistan for the development of the institutions, the economy and civil society, the Swedish minister said.
On behalf of the EPP Group, Joseph Daul welcomed the overall approach of the Swedish Presidency. We must put an end to "institutional quarrels" so that the EU can once again concentrate on urgent dossiers, such as the economic crisis, "which is not over yet", he said. Criticising the "pretext" invented by Mr Klaus (i.e. the Benes decrees) to delay his signature, Mr Daul also criticised Slovakia's request for the same guarantees as Prague (EUROPE 10001), "which could open Pandora's box". As regards climate change, Mr Daul stressed that "the EU cannot be the only one to make any efforts" and that the United States, China and the emerging countries must make commitments too. "What pressure is the EU prepared to bring to bear on them: polite or maximum?", asked the leader of the EPP Group.
Hannes Swoboda, on behalf of the S&D Group, also hopes that Copenhagen will lead to "clear commitments on specific objectives" rather than just "general declarations". He also pleaded for a future permanent president of the European Council who can "respect the Community method", and in favour of a diplomatic service which is "subject to Parliamentary control". It would be unacceptable to have less democratic control over the foreign policy of the EU, given that one of the objectives of the Lisbon Treaty (from which this diplomatic service will spring) is to increase the same powers of control of the EP, argued Mr Swoboda.
Speaking on behalf of the ALDE Group, its president, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted an interview given by Mr Klaus, in which he stated that the "train" of the Lisbon Treaty was coming so quickly that it would no longer be possible to stop it (EUROPE 10001). This proves that the European Council should move more quickly still and immediately take all decisions required by the new treaty (appointment of the high representative and permanent president) and launch the process of renewing the Commission. "If you wait (for Mr Klaus to sign), then he will wait too. If you move forward, then he will move forward as well and will sign", Mr Verhofstadt told Ms Malmström and Mr Barroso. On the EEAS, Mr Verhofstadt warned against any "duplication" of the services of the Commission and of the Council. At the end of the day, what we need is a single structure managing the foreign affairs of the EU, he said.
Rebecca Harms, Co-president of the Greens Group, is opposed to the 26 giving Mr Klaus what "that bad loser" is asking for on the Charter of Fundamental Rights. "This would be a step too far", she said. Her Green Group colleague, Gerald Häfner, would later on state that giving in to Mr Klaus's "blackmail" would be like "going back to the Middle Ages". "The charter is the heart of the treaty. Let us not allow Klaus to rip it out", he said. Rebecca Harms congratulated the Swedish Presidency on its preparations for the Copenhagen conference on climate change in warmest terms. It is vital that the 27 reach an agreement on funding; the 100 billion which will be needed by 2020 is "peanuts" compared to what the member states were prepared to pay out to save the banks, she said.
On behalf of the Conservative Group (ECR), Timothy Kirkhope also congratulated the Presidency on its approach to climate change and the economic crisis, but he does not share its enthusiasm for the Lisbon Treaty. "We need a new Lisbon strategy (on growth and employment), not a new Lisbon Treaty ", he said.
Lothar Bisky, speaking for the GUE/NGL Group, expressed his surprise at the ease with which the heads of state and government are preparing to "add new clauses to the Lisbon Treaty" (a reference to the guarantee requested by Mr Klaus). "But in that case, make it a 'social progress clause' instead", said Mr Bisky.
Nigel Farage (EFD), for his part, repeated his calls for a British referendum on the treaty.
Most Czech citizens want the president to sign, said the Czech Socialist Libor Roucek, calling on the other states of the Union not to get caught up in President Klaus's games.
In the view of the French MEP Pervenche Berès (S&D), the summit should send out two messages, concerning: - the holding of a European debate on taxes on financial transactions: - the budget and the current economic situation. The current budget will not even pay for the second part of the relaunch plan as you envisaged it a year ago, said Ms Berès: we must have resources that can keep pace with the policies.
As for the composition of the future Commission, everybody called on President Barroso to set the bar very high. The Spanish Socialist Juan Lopez Aguilar called for a politically-balanced (he feels that the new high representative should belong to his political family) and gender-balanced Commission. As president of the committee on liberties, he is of the firm opinion that immigration and security should not be brought together under a single portfolio. The development aid portfolio should be given to somebody who is up to the job, which has become so much more important against the backdrop of the fight against climate change, said the Irish MEP Gay Mitchell (EPP). Luxembourg's Charles Goerens (ALDE) raised the issue of the criteria for the appointment of the future president of the Council: given the tendency towards the intergovernmental, should we not make it a condition that he or she favours a return to the Community method in his or her concept of Europe?
Finally, it is worth noting that José Manuel Barroso wrote to the Heads of State and Government on 20 October, reminding them first of all that the process of appointing the future Commissioners "cannot be formally conducted before a European Council decision to launch it". Nonetheless, Mr Barroso goes on in his letter to stress the importance he will place on a Commission with a "balanced composition (...), and in particular its gender balance". The President of the Commission therefore calls on the Member States to pay particular attention to the presence of women in the future College. (H.B./L.G./trans.fl)