Paris, 04/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - Presenting his New Year's wishes to President Chirac, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin said that, in the second half of the year the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union would strive to ensure that Europe takes "decisive steps". Speaking as one, "we shall enable our country to be even stronger within a united Europe", said Mr. Jospin, speaking in favour of a Europe "of growth and full employment, a more democratic Europe, a Europe whose enlargement is controlled, a strong Europe, contributing in providing the world with the indispensable rules for its stability and prosperity". This Europe, he went on, is a "union of nations" at the service of peace, "based on belonging to the same civilisation" and on a social model based both on "economic efficiency and social justice". The preservation of "our national interests is part of our attachment to Europe", he made a point of emphasising regarding the French embargo on British beef.
As for President Chirac, he recalled that the priorities of the French Presidency of the EU Council would in particular be the institutional reform of the EU, enlargement, "Europe's progress in defence and security", and "Europe of Men, i.e. a Europe of employment and innovation, a social Europe, a Europe of culture, youth and research". (See in EUROPE of 15 December, p.5, for what Jacques Chirac had to say about the French Presidency in his speech on the occasion of the inauguration of the new European Parliament building in Strasbourg).