Brussels, 11/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The think-tank based in Brussels, the European Policy Centre has published its detailed stance, before the Biarritz Summit, on the reforms necessary if the EU wants to succeed in its grand enlargement, in a paper entitled "From Biarritz to Nice and Beyond: Reform of the European Union". This paper, signed by Peter Sutherland, Karel Van Miert, Stanley Crossick, Hywel Crei Jones, Max Kohnstamm and John Palmer - notes that there is broad agreement between EU governments on a series of key-objectives, but also points out that the recent remarks of the Belgian Prime Minister, German Chancellor and Italian Prime Minister, on the one hand, and the British Prime and Swedish Ministers, on the other, highlight "a fundamental difference of philosophy". According to The EPC, the central question is whether the reform needs to be based on the Community method or on more "intergovernmentalism". Yet, the paper affirms, "experience shows that without the Community method the great achievements of the past decade such as the creation of the single market ad the single currency could never have happened", and "far from being a more democratic system, intergovernmentalism risks seriously alienating citizens from the EU and its institutions".
According to The EPC, therefore: - candidate countries must be able to join as soon as possible and efficient, democratic and cohesive European Union"; - the Community method should continue to be at the centre of the progress towards European integration, whereas "intergovernmental cooperation can only be accepted, as an intermediate stage, for specific new policy areas"; - the successful conclusion of the nice Summit is vital; - the process or agreeing the comprehensive reform of the nstitutions and their functioning should be determined in Nice". (Text in full: http://www.The ECPC.be).