Strasbourg, 10/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - Last Thursday, the European Parliament voted on the conclusions of the European Council of Feira, expressing satisfaction but also concerns (for the debate, see EUROPE of 5 July, pages 6 and 7).
The EP raised in particular: - the IGC. The EP regrets that the Council did not include a certain number of additional issues on the agenda of the IGC. Satisfied with the inclusion of of enhanced cooperation, it places emphasis on the fact that enhanced cooperation has not to be used not to progress down the path of enlargement and deepening; - European security and defence policy. The EP expresses a positive judgement on the setting up of a military crisis management capability and on the definition of military and civilian means for crisis management, but expresses concern at the growing complexity of institutional relations regarding foreign and security policy; - taxation. Satisfied with the outcome on the tax on savings revenue, the EP regrets that the timetable does not reflect the urgency of the problem; - follow-up of the European Council of Lisbon. The EP welcomes the consensus surrounding the strategy for economic reform and social cohesion and reaffirms its commitment to combating poverty, through a detailed European social agenda. It pleads in favour of increased public and private investments and (Green amendment) for maintaining and strengthening public services through improved provisions in the Treaty (the original text referred to the "liberalisation" of public services).
Finally, the EP took stances on external relations, notably concerning India (which, it says, should be associated in the ASEM process), the Western Balkans (the Council should immediately begin negotiations with Croatia on Stabilisation and Association Agreement), the Mediterranean (the French Presidency is urged to consider ways of rendering the Euro-Mediterranean policy more effective), Russia (the EU must strive to put an end to the Chechen conflict), the "northern dimension" (the EP is waiting for the report the Swedish Presidency will submit to the Gottenbourg Summit, in June 2001).