Brussels, 26/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - After Mr. Nassauer and Mr. Ferber (see EUROPE of 24 June, p5.), two other German members of the European Parliament criticised, but for different reasons, the idea started by the German authorities after the Feira summit to call a far more ambitious new intergovernmental Conference, than the present one, by 2004, maybe even 2003 (see below).
Thus the CSU member Ingo Friedrich is against such an initiative for the same reasons than his fellow nationals in the EPP group, by asserting that the issue of the catalogue of competence to be divided among the different levels of the EU, which Berlin would apparently only want to broach in the next IGC, must be already be resolved by the intergovernmental Conference, as, he said "it is a preparation for enlargement to the est." Furthermore, according to him, the holding of an IGC in 2004 would postpone te EU enlargement "at least until 2006."
On the other hand, the German Social Democrat Jo Leiner, co-rapporteur (with Mr. Dimitrakopoulos) for the European Parliament on institutional reform, rejects the IGC method (even if it is a case of a "large Intergovernmental conference." According to him, the experience of the last months confirms the limits of the diplomatic method, which must be replace, to tackle the fundamental issues of the future of the EU, with a "great Convention" formed of government and parliamentary representatives, according to the model of the Convention that is presently drafting the Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, Mr. Leinen underlines that Europe's political union requires a "constitutional treaty."
Last week, an advisor to Chancellor Schröder had, during a meeting with some journalists, indicated that Germany wanted, after the ratification of the Treaty of Nice, the opening of a new IGC while a wider scope, which would broach in particular the issues of a European Constitution, the repartition of competence between different levels (European, national and regional) and the creation of a core of Member States ready to progress towards political union.