Brussels, 12/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission regards it inappropriate on its part to take a stand, now, on the survey undertaken by the University Institute of Florence relating to the reorganisation of Community treaties. Consequently, it will simply forward the report to the other institutions and Member States. The report was handed to Romano Prodi on 15 May, stressing its value and importance. It will therefore be a "neutral" transmission.
EUROPE has reason to believe that some Commissioners believe that the Commission could have established a link between the exercise of reorganising the treaties, on the one hand, and the ongoing debates on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the distribution of competencies between the EU and Member States, on the other. The majority of the College, nevertheless considered that,, at the current stage, the distinction between the goals of the ongoing Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) and the plans for "post-Nice" had to be kept separate. The priorities must be respected and not bring a new element into the discussion that could fuel confusion both among the negotiators and among the public.