Brussels, 11/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission approved the work programme for finalising its White Paper on European Governance, the official title being: "Enhancing Democracy in the European Union". Announced at the European Parliament in February this year by President Romano Prodi, the document will be ready about the middle of next year. It is keenly awaited in Community circles because it should contain elements of response to some of the questions relating to the Union's future, which are already much discussed and will still be topical after the Nice Summit.
As the Commission sees it, the term "governance" covers the five essential aspects of the way in which Europe should be governed: accountability, visibility, transparency, coherence and effectiveness. This implies the correct functioning of democratic procedures and instruments within the Institutions, but also the effective involvement of citizens in the concept and implementation of decisions that concern them, as well as the powers to be exercised at the different levels: local, regional, national and European. All the Commission services will make a contribution to the six areas of reflection in the programme, which will then support the drafting of the White Paper.
The areas to be considered by the Commission are:
- enlarging and enhancing the public debate on European matters;
- handling the process of producing and implementing Community rules;
- improving the exercise of European responsibilities through decentralisation;
- promoting coherence and cooperation within a networked Europe;
- the Union's contribution to world governance;
- the integration and strategic dimension of Union policies across the continent.
The Commission will receive progress reports on the drafting. The team set up to draft the White Paper will organise wide-ranging informal consultation of the Commission's partners throughout the exercise. It will facilitate interaction between the working parties within the Commission and the contributions from outside actors such as regional and local correspondents, social partners and others involved in the civil society, academics and the general public.
A website will be accessible from mid-October at the following address:
http: //europa.eu.int/comm/governance.