Damaging confusion. Any confusion between instruments to promote action and the action itself should be avoided. What the EU is currently doing involves the instruments. This column underlined the importance of this yesterday. The instruments include: the structure and powers of the institutions and other bodies, operational rules and efficiency. The first European budgetary semester (which will help to promote common discussions and guide national budgets as from next year, before their approval) will begin next January; the revision of the Stability Pact will enter into force a year later and define the obligations incumbent on eurozone countries, as well as the sanctions for those that do not respect these obligations. At the same time it will determine what support they are eligible for. It is normal that these developments have not been noticed by the public. How could one imagine that the public would be interested in institutional changes or passionate about the new rules? Nonetheless, the innovations are crucial if Europe is to take efficient action, get its voice heard on the international stage and take decisions that will consequently have an impact on all of our lives.
This has been the case since the birth of European unity. In the beginning, farmers did not know about the common agricultural policy but it then became a decisive element in their lives. Polish farmers opposed joining the EU but afterwards discovered to what extent the CAP was useful to them. The citizens of less well off member states knew nothing about cohesion policy but are now its main defenders and even economically solid regions promote it. The advantages of European construction are immeasurable but the younger generations are unaware of them and take things for granted. One-day, it will be the same case for economic and monetary union. All member states can leave the EU if they or their citizens wish to. Just looking around, it would appear that there are a lot of countries and people who are knocking at the door to become candidates to join.
A totally updated system. Implementation of new common economic and monetary policy instruments has obtained broad support from the European Parliament this week. Obviously, the overall positive votes were accompanied by partly critical comments and many demands. Nevertheless, overall, the Van Rompuy group largely obtained majority support, whereas criticism and reservations greeted the Franco-German declaration (see our publication yesterday). The European Commission, perhaps, considers that the Van Rompuy group had introduced too much flexibility into its proposals for revising the Stability Pact but in its speech on Wednesday in Strasbourg, its president, Mr Barroso, was at pains to highlight what was being developed: “But let me be clear - the overall result must represent a real change from the current situation. We must show to our citizens that the European Union has been drawing all the right conclusions and learning all the lessons from the crisis. … The European Union is putting in place a system of governance that is completely renewed when compared with the state of play before the crisis”.
National responsibilities. Obviously, the effects of these orientations and new instruments will subsequently depend on the member states, which remain masters of their budgets and their economic policies. Some political forces, even within the European Parliament, have criticised the fact that the new instruments particularly emphasised sanctions; but as long as the member states ultimately remain masters of their own budgets and economic policies, what could have been done otherwise? All members of the eurozone must respect the rules - if not, the whole zone will collapse. Countries that do not intend to apply commonly decided criteria can leave the euro; in theory, participation is obligatory (except for the United Kingdom and Denmark), in reality, there is a choice and the case of Sweden proves it. Let's not forget that in addition to the sanctions, other support instruments will also be developed.
In conclusion, the instruments, rules and mechanisms are crucial if we are to take action involving: efficiently controlling the financial community, reaffirming solidarity principles (a new permanent crisis intervention mechanism will replace the one developed in the Greek saga), coordinating and harmonising the behaviour of member states. The vast plethora of rules that the Commission has proposed and will continue to propose (on which the Parliament and Council will equally have their say), together with the revision of the Stability Pact, will form the basis of what the European Council will be giving its opinion on next week. The way in which this giant and innovative colossus ultimately operates, however, will largely depend on the national choices made and how the member states behave.
(F.R./transl.fl)