Biarritz, 15/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - At the end of the Summit, the Heads of Government held separate press conferences, enabling them to react to the outcome.
Gerhard Schroeder: Germany wants a strong Commission and can accept a Commission
with a ceiling - Similar stances by Aznar and Amato
Chancellor Schroeder confirmed that, in talks on institutional reform, Germany (like France and the United Kingdom, he underpinned) had declared itself prepared to consider a Commission with a ceiling, with a rotation of Commissioners, but he doubted that the "small" countries could agree to such a solution. It is in Germany's "interest" to have a strong and efficient Commission, said Gerhard Schroeder, adding that the citizens of the Member States would consider the Commission all the more legitimate were it to focus its work on essential issues for the development of European integration. As for the weighing of votes in Council, he said that Germany "could live quite happily" with the formula of a dual majority: what is not acceptable, is that in an enlarged Union, Germany, with a population of 80 million, should only have 10 votes in Council, while 17 countries which together have the same population should have 57 votes, he exclaimed.
In addition, Schroeder considered that the greatest progress had been on enhanced cooperation: the question is not that of "whether" it is necessary, but "how" it may develop, he said. He then added: "I found I most pleasant to observe that most of us considered that there not be a majority of States to take part in enhanced cooperation, and that eight of us would be enough (but his did acknowledge that some continued to insist on the participation of at least half the Member States). Schroeder also confirmed Germany's attitude on the extension of qualified majority voting (even though it is difficult to accept for asylum and immigration). This procedure must be extended, especially to certain aspects of taxation, the structural funds, the environment and certain appointments, he sad.
Regarding oil prices, Mr. Schroeder said that the ideas of Romano Prodi on long-term coordination with Russia received a "broad consensus". Personally, he added, "I pointed out that Germany was conducting a massive policy of moving away from oil" and "I have told the Commission that this policy should not be impeded by rules of public aid".
Spanish Prime minister Jose Maria Aznar told the press that Spain had rallied around the position of the other "large countries" on a ceiling for European Commissioners (but without details over its rotation), and that it was in favour of facilitating enhanced cooperation, as long as this did not affect the acquis communautaire, common policies or cohesion. As for enhanced cooperation in the second pillar, he considered that it should be possible, while providing for devices to take account of th sensitivities of neutral countries.
Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato observed that talks on institutional reform had highlighted "greater convergence" than expected - which, he added "I found surprising". One subject on which there is the most convergence is that of enhanced cooperation, a subject that Italy wanted to add on the IGC's agenda, Amato noted, saying the talks had mainly concerned the Italian-German proposal on enhanced integration (see EUROPE/Documents No.2215, annexed to this Special Bulletin).
Questioned on the rejection this week by the Italian Parliament of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Mr. Amato, visibly irritated, said that he had tried to explain why this Charter was a good thing for Europeans, even though it is only a "common denominator", and not "an Italian Constitution multiplied by fifteen", but that "only the centre-left majority saw itself" in this text. The opposition situation was certainly not facilitated by the words of the leader of Lega Nord, Umberto Bossi, who said that the Charter was the fruit of "Communist freemasons", said the Italian Prime Minister. Regarding the steep rise in the price of oil, Mr. Amato said that there had been "absolute agreement" on the analysis and guidelines of Romano Prodi for the medium-term. For the short-term, Amato noted that Europe's strategic reserves were more limited than was the case for the United States, but that "we could consider coordination even for these limited reserves".
Blair places emphasis on link between reduction in number of Commissioners and re-weighting of
votes in Council, and Schuessel on "one country, one commissioner" rule
British Prime Minister Tony Blair reaffirmed that Britain wanted to play a significant role in Europe. "It is important for Europe and for British national interests", he repeated, stressing that "were we to go to Nice to veto the Charter of Fundamental Rights or enhanced cooperation, the United Kingdom would be completely sidelined". Anyhow, "the charter can only be a political declaration. There are doubtless some countries that want to provide it with a binding nature, but others are against this". As for enhanced cooperation, this is only an instrument of flexibility that will enable groups of countries to move forward in areas they choose to, without being blocked by those who do not, and without ever excluding anyone. He stressed that this formula would also enable Great Britain to push forward in matters of police cooperation and the fight against international crime, whereas not all Member states are ready to progress. Blair also placed emphasis on the link between reducing the number of Commissioners and "re-weighting votes in Council, which is absolutely essential". Regarding the number of Commissioners, Robin cook added that one should not lose sight of the fact that the useful number of Commissioner portfolios would not increase with the EU's successive enlargement.
Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schuessel placed special emphasis on retaining one Commissioner per Member State which, for him is a precondition to the legitimacy of the Commission's action. How could we explain to people that the Council will be effective with 25 or 30 members, but not the Commission, whereas most governments of Member States have as many ministers?
Even though they do not represent their country within the College, each Commission acts as "bridge between the Commission and the public opinion of their country". Regarding the extension of qualified majority voting, he explained that Austria had an open stance as a whole, but could not "budge a millimeter" on certain environmental issues, like the management of water resources. Regarding the re-weighting of votes in Council, Schuessel pleaded in favour of a dual majority. He also spoke in favour of strengthening the role of the President of the Commission, as well as that of the European Parliament.
"Small" countries not absolutely disposed to relinquishing their Commissioner
Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker stressed that, in negotiations over institutional reform, the situation was 10 countries against 5 on two of the most difficult issues: a) composition of the Commission: 10 Member States are n favour of the formula "one Commissioner per Member State", 5 for a reduced Commission; b) weighting of votes in Council: 10 Member States are in favour of a dual majority, whereas 5 prefer the simple re-weighting. "Each says that the crazy trench warfare between the large and small countries must not continue, but the rhetorical bandage does not conceal the wounds", he said. Then, using the same arguments as the other "small" countries, he said: a Commission where the "large" countries would not be represented would have less political clout, and this clout would move to the Council. "I really don't see how three little blokes would have Europe trembling". Having said that, Juncker found the debate in Biarritz very "useful" as, had it taken place in Nice, there would be no Treaty of Nice, but a Treaty of "Gothenburg" (under the Swedish Presidency).
Portuguese Prime Minister Antono Guterres said that: the large countries want "more power in Europe", by reducing that of the "small" ones to a "negligible quantity". We must retain one Commissioner per Member state, he said. Something that Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok and Belgium's Guy Verhofstadt also declared, with the latter saying that, "one day", maybe, we could envisage a Commission with a ceiling. Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson observed that a European commission without, for example, a German or French Commissioner would be hard to imagine, and would not be "legitimate", and Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen exclaimed: "I shall accept no blackmail, and, moreover, everyone is responsible, the large even more so than the small". Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyryp Rasmussen also placed emphasis on the principle "one Commissioner per Member State), as well as on the efficiency of the Commission. Regarding the extension of qualified majority voting, he recalled the difficulties Denmark had in agreeing to this in social matters. The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that, for Ireland, there was no question of relinquishing its Commissioner, whereas, if there needs to be a correction to the weighting of votes, he preference was for the dual majority system.. In addition, the Irish Prime Minister confirmed his opposition to a move to qualified majority voting on tax issues, social security and foreign and security policy. Greek Prime minister Costas Simitis, moreover, also placed emphasis on maintaining one Commissioner per country and said that Greece could agree to a re-weighting of votes in Council; as for extending qualified majority voting, he said that Greece could agree to it for some forty of the fifty articles in question. Greece is, moreover, also in favour of facilitating enhanced cooperation, even for security and defence policy, but with "safety brake" mechanisms.