Paris/Brussels, 31/08/2000 (Agence Europe) - "Notre Europe", the study and research group chaired by Jacques Delors and "Les Amis de l'Europe" chaired by Etienne Davignon are organising on 4 September in Paris a seminar on the theme "What reform of the European Union Council of Ministers?". The morning session will take place under the chair of Jacques Delors, and that in the afternoon under that of Etienne Davignon; Mr Delors and Mr Davignon, as well as the French Minister for European Affairs Pierre Moscovici, will make a synthesis of the works. Among the participants, are expected in particular the former Secretary General of the Council, Niels Ersboell and Jurgen Trumpf, the European Commissioner Pascal Lamy, former Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene (who chaired the Committee entrusted by the Prodi Commission to study the institutional impact of enlargement), former Belgian Permanent Representative to the EU Philippe de Schotheete, the MEPs Alain Lamassoure, Emma Bonino and Jose Maris Gil-Robles, the Secretary General of the International European Movement Pier Virgilio Dastoli.
The debates will be introduced by a report prepared for "Notre Europe" by Gerard Vial, Former Secretary General of the SGCI (Secretariat General of the International Committee for European Issues), who starts by noting that, several months after the presentation of the Trumpf-Piris report adopted in the Conclusions of the European Council of last December in Helsinki, the difficulties remain, in particular in the running of the General Affairs Council. Thus according to Mr Vial it will be necessary to re-examine the conclusions of Helsinki and uncover which where supported.
Furthermore, a note drafted by "Les Amis de l'Europe" recalls that the reference document by "Les Amis de l'Europe" adopted in June 1999 suggested a more coherent system characterised by more frequent a European Council meetings, a General Council responsible for details and a Presidency provided with a more political role (see EUROPE of 4 June 1999, pages 7 and 8).