Brief items for which space was lacking in earlier editions
*** EU/federalists: "Without a breakthrough during the French Presidency, European governments are headed for deadlock in Nice", says the Bureau of the Union of European Federalists (UEF), chaired by Jo Leinen MEP when taking a stance on the European Council of Feira. The UEF, which in particular deplores the fact that the Feria Summit "provided no sign of hope" on the reorganisatipn and simplification of the treaties and on the integration of the future Charter of Fundamental Rights in the Treaty, is in favour of the formation, "on the basis of a European constitution, of a federal core as open vanguard, the first step towards a federation of the whole of Europe".
*** ECB: At a conference in Frankfurt, the Chief Economist of the European Central Bank, Otmar Issing, acknowledged that the Bank "has a problem of communication", but considered that this was especially due to "the excessive attention paid by the media and the public to the euro's external exchange rate". The verdict on the ECB's policy is rather good, he said, considering this situation preferable to a state of affairs were the Bank to find itself in "if clearly mistaken policies had been brilliantly explained".
*** Euro/United Kingdom/France: According to a report drawn up for the pro-euro group "Britain in Europe" by Andrew Rose, professor of macroeconomics at Berkley University, in California, the United Kingdom could triple its trade with the euro-zone nations within thirty years if it joined the single currency. In France, moreover, the operation "Trophée de l'euro" aimed at rewarding SMEs/SMIs which have been quick to engage successfully and in an innovative manner in projects necessary for their switch to the euro, will be extended to 15 October. The Association pour l'Union Monétaire de l'Europe launched the operation last March.
*** EU/Mediterranean: At a conference organised in Cascais by the Instituto de Estudos Estrategicos e Internacinas, under the auspices of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council, the Institute's director, Alvaro de Vasconcelos, said that the time had come to encourage the establishment, in the framework of the Barcelona Process, a Euro-Mediterranean free-trade area. Geroge Joffé, researcher at the Institute, for his part, presented a report called "EMP Watch", drawn up from questionnaires submitted to the members of the Barcelona Process in order to know how they felt as to whether this process had achieved its objectives. Mr. Joffé said that this would be a first step of a continuous verification process.
*** Greece/terrorism: In an interview published by the Greek Sunday paper "Vima", President Clinton said that "terrorism can be defeated in Greece", and assured his support for any initiatives the Greek authorities take along those lines.
*** Greece/United Kingdom: In a campaign to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece (which are exposed in the British Museum in London), a British doctor, Christopher Stockdale, is to swim from the island of Delos (an archaeological park) to the island of Paros, says the Greek press agency ANA.
*** UN/Transnational Radical Party: In a press release, the Transnational Radical Party denounces the intervention by "Putin's new Russia" to secure from the United Nations the definitive withdrawal of the advisory status it was attributed in 1995. This status enables the Party to "denounce in New York, Vienna and Geneva human rights violations in the world", says the press release, noting that it was only thanks to the "commitment of the Americans, French and Germans" that this "Soviet-style" attack was held off: the final decision is up to the Economic and Social Committee, which is holding its annual session in New York this month.
*** EP/Pierre Pflimlin: Many MEPs paid tribute to Pierre Pflimlin, who died aged 93. Pierre Pflimlin was "an artist of European politics" who "retained the sincerity of the grassroot worker", incarnating "this idea of the Europe that we love and defend", said the President of the Socialist Group Enrique Baron, whereas German Christian-Democrat Karl von Wogau recalled that, right up to the end of his life, Pierre Pflimlin (who he met in January), had always looked to the future. As for Margie Sudre, Chair of the French delegation of the EPP/ED Group, she quoted Charles de Gaulle who used to say "Pierre Pflimlin has sacrificed to the public wellbeing all that is possible to sacrifice", and said that lessons had to be drawn from the action of Pierre Pflimlin, "of whom we feel ourselves to be the heirs". The Parliamentary Assembly and Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe paid a formal tribute in Strasbourg to Pierre Pflimlin.
*** UN: Jean-Marie Guehenno, former French ambassador to the WEU, has become UN Deputy Secretary General, responsible for peacekeeping operations.
*** Solomon Islands: The opposition leader, Mannasseh Sogavare, was elected Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands and undertook to settle the ethnic conflicts that lead to the coup d'état early June.