Brief items for which space was lacking in earlier editions
*** EU/Charter of Fundamental Rights/Vatican: In a message addressed to Spanish Cardinal Ortas last Saturday, Pope John-Paul II criticised the European Charter of Fundamental Rights stating that, "in spite of the many and noble efforts", "it does not satisfy the rightful expectations of many people". According to the Pope, the Charter could have been "more courageous in the defence of the rights of people and the family" that "are threatened in many European countries by the policy in favour of abortion (…), by ever more open attitude towards euthanasia, and, finally, by certain draft bills in the field of genetic technology". John-Paul II, moreover, expressed his "disappointment at the fact that not a single allusion is made to God, supreme source of human dignity and fundamental rights, in the Charter".
*** EP/Strasbourg session: on 15 September, according to the programme agreed for its plenary sessions in 2001, the European Parliament, met for the last time in Strasbourg on a Friday morning (you may recall that, following the adoption of amendments to the schedule, next year sessions in Strasbourg will end Thursday evening). CSU MEP Bern Posselt requested that this "erroneous and costly" decision be reviewed in 2002, considering that, on the contrary, they should "make full use of the five day sessions in Strasbourg", devote a week to Parliamentary Committees and one to the political groups in Brussels, reserve a week for work in electoral constituencies and abolish the "costly mini-session in Brussels".
*** EU/France/Germany: The main CDU/CSU leaders met officials from the French UDF and RPR in Berlin last week to agree on their stances in European policy. Setting out from a negative observation on he outcome of the Nice Summit, the opposition leaders of Germany and France (among whom Angela Merkel, Friedrich Merz, Karl Lamers, Jacques Toubon, Francois Leotard and Alain Lamassoure) intend, in particular, rekindling the project for a European constitution, setting out from the project Jacques Toubon and Alain Juppe unveiled last June.
*** Italy/Austria/Vatican: At the end of last week, violent protests marked the governor of Carinthia Jorg Haider's visit to the Vatican to present a Xmas tress for St. Peter's Square, this year offered by the Austrian Land (the Pope recalled that the Vatican had accepted the gift three years ago, before the former FPO leader became governor). During his visit, Jorg Haider even attacked President Ciampi (who reacted to his criticisms), by attacking Italian politicians he regarded as being "too generous" towards foreigners - which led to protests by Prime Minister Giuliano Amato to the Austrian Government.
*** France/Italy: French Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot announced that in 2002 a road-rail link (trucks carried on trains) should be operational, for one or two daily trips, through the Alps between France and Italy. From 2005 or 2006 this link should assure a "complete and regular" service.
*** Europe/United States: The Leader of the Socialist Group in he European Parliament, Enrique Baron, congratulated George W. Bush on his election as President of the United States, hoping that cooperation between Washington and the EU should continue in economic matters as well as of issues affecting peace, freedom ad justice in the world, especially the third world. At the Council of Europe, while congratulating the future President, Secretary General Walter Schwimmer observed that the "death penalty is a grim shadow on the United States", and sent out an appeal to Bush to "show the courage of a true leader" and begin a debate on the abolition of the death penalty, "following the lead of Europe".
*** EP/Romania: Greek Socialist Ioannis Souladakis, Vice-Chairman of the EU/Romania Joint Committee, said that the victory of Ion Iliuescu and his social democrat party in the Presidential elections in Romania "is a guarantee for the country's membership of the EU".
*** EP/Treaty of Nice: "Finally we've won! The interpretation of the principle of insularity that we requested was confirmed in Nice", exclaimed Raffaele Lombardo, Italian member of the EPP/ED Group in the European Parliament, with his colleagues Luigi Cocilvo, Francesco Musotto and Uberto Scapagnini, adding, "especially, we Sicilians have reasons to welcome this vistory".
*** EP/budget: Ms. Aviles Perea, co-ordinator of the EPP/ED Group on the Committee of Women's Rights, regretted last week that, when voting on the budget, plenary had rejected her amendment calling for it to be ensured that the "European Women's Lobby" use the credits allocated to it in a "transparent and pluralist manner" This request is, nevertheless, legitimate, she noted