Brussels, 23/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - Several members of the European Parliament's Socialist Group will be launching, on Tuesday next in Brussels, with a view to the congress of the Party of European Socialists of 8 and 9 May in Berlin (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.6), a "European project for Socialists", that they call the "new federalism". This comes after the European Council in Nice that was "disappointing and worrying". In a press release, the MEPs, who noted that the European Union is not always able to fulfil two of its main functions, those of taking part in the building of a harmonious world and defending its social model, call for strengthened European integration. They state that the method defended is that of "new federalism" which meets constantly restated citizen determination for a Europe closer to its citizens.
The model proposed is based on a Federation of States and Peoples, on a political Union of Europe. The new federalism is based on decentralisation that is as broad as possible so that the decisions are taken at the level that is most relevant for citizens, whether regional, national or European, states the press release. It adds that, for this, a European constitutional process must be launched, involving political and institutional actors and the civil society in a transparent and open debate, through a method based on the Convention. MEPs, who wish to hold a "broad democratic debate around their project to define the identity and the role of tomorrow's Europe", state that the project "places emphasis on the need to encourage greater cooperation around the euro" as strengthened cooperation in economic, monetary and social matters will be "important for defending the European model".
At this stage, the signatories are: - Italian MEPs Giorgio Napolitano (Chair of the Constitutional Committee), Pasqualina Napoletano, Fiorenza Ghilardotti, Renzo Imbeni, Bruno Trentin and Enrico Boselli; - French Pervenche Berès, Michel Rocard (Chair of the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment), Gérard Caudron, Martine Roure; - German Jo Leinen (President of the Union of European Federalists), Klaus Hänsch, Christa Randzio-Plath (Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs), Gerhard Schmid and Martin Schulz; - British David Martin; - Belgian Claude Desama, Dutch Max van den Berg; - Luxembourger Jacques Poos; - Irish Proinsias De Rossa; - Greek Giorgios Katiforis; - Spanish Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza (Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research, External Trade and Industry), Joan Colom I Naval, Rosa Diez Gonzalez and Raimon Obiols i Germà; - Portuguese Antonio Seguro and Paulo Casaca.
The initiative will be presented on 27 February during a press conference at 11h00, at the European Parliament in Brussels.