Brussels, 05/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting of the Greens group in the European Parliament, the German Minister for Foreign Affairs Joschka Fischer (die Grunen) showed himself to be resolutely optimist as to the ability of the Heads of States and Government to find a fair compromise for the large and small countries. Explaining that there are some especially sensitive issues for certain public opinion, he nevertheless called for a realistic reading of the summit results. Also wondering: "if we say no to the results of Nice, would we get a better after?"
With regards to the weighting of votes in the Council, Mr Fischer said that Germany as France must "put aside the issue of prestige". The split of German compared to the three other large States must not be seen as the desire of Germany to have more weight, but as a simple recognition of the difference in demographic weight that also enables to facilitate the search for a global balance for all the Member States, he explained before broaching the size of the Commission, which he prefers to be restrained and strong rather than large and weak. "The issue is not to know if Germany will have one or three Commissioners, but how to strengthen the effectiveness of the Commission", he added. "Europe does not function in an intergovernmental manner", noted Mr Fischer when insisting over the need to continue integration to avoid that the barrier do not lead certain Member States to achieve outside the EU what can be done within. While avoiding entering into the debate over the post Nice, he underlined that a date is naturally needed; that of 2006, from which it will be necessary to have a new financial framework. As of 2005, it will be necessary to prepare the future financing of the EU and that will not be possible with a more precise distribution of competence between the EU and the Member States and without a more democratic Europe and one better accepted by the public opinion, explained Mr Fischer.
The Belgian Deputy Prime Ministers Isabelle Durant (Ecologist) insisted on the similarity between the extension of qualified majority and the codecision of the EP. She called for the launching in Nice of a "constitutive process that has become unavoidable". "The time for institutional DIY is over", she said when hoping that the Nice Summit manages to adopt an ambitious agenda and an innovative method that is based upon the Convention method (responsible for the drafting of the Charter of Fundamental Rights).
The Italian Ministers for Community policy Gianni Mattioli (Verdi) indicated that he "strongly advised the President of the Council to refuse a weak agreement in Nice". Among the conditions for an acceptable agreement, he cited a strengthening of the role and weight of the EP as well as the abandoning of the right to veto. On this issue, he suggested solutions linked to a timetable. The countries that want to maintain unanimity for structural funds should be prepared to give it up in 2004 and a conference should be organised on asylum in order to bring Germany to abandon unanimity on this issue. He also insisted on the inclusion of a reference to the Charter of Fundamental Rights in Article 6 and the adoption of a timetable to a constitutive process involving the EP and public opinion.