Brussels, 02/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Laeken Declaration on the IGC 2004, passage to the euro, enlargement, the strengthening of the role of the High Representative for foreign and security policy, relations with Africa and Russia… these are the priorities of the future Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, highlighted at a conference organised on last Thursday and Friday by the European Policies Studies Group (GEPE) - De Studiesgroep voor Europese Politiek (SEP) and the Trans European Policy Association (TEPSA).
Louis Michel, Belgian Foreign Minister, spoke on Friday of the major lines of his government's programme for the Belgian Presidency (which are to be discussed in the Belgian Parliament on Wednesday), and designated four challenges for the Belgian Presidency: 1) to define the framework of the debate on Europe's future; 2) deepen the EU's sectoral policies; 3) continue work begun on enlargement; 4 ) affirm Europe's role in international affairs. Michel placed emphasis on the fact that "deepening European construction is no intellectual craze (…) it has to serve to improve the effectiveness and functioning of the EU". For him, the ongoing enlargement process is the main argument in favour of the deepening the EU's integration. He considers that "the outcome in Nice was inadequate", but urged that the Nice Treaty be ratified so as not to discourage the candidate countries. He recalled that Belgium subscribed to the principle of differentiation between applicant countries and did not want to set a date for the first accessions, and stated that a first meeting of the Accession conference would take place in July and that the enlargement issue would figure on the agenda of the European Councils of Ghent and Laeken. Mr. Michel also pleaded in favour of a greater role for the High Representative of Cfsp, in parallel with the Commission, declaring that: "the many missions by Messrs. Solana and Patten demonstrated the validity of this development". Regarding foreign policy, the management of the conflicts in Central Africa, the Middle East, and Russia were priority subjects on the agenda of the Presidency. As for the operational nature of Cfsp, he called for the signing of a permanent arrangement between the EU and NATO before the Council of Laeken, and spoke his intention of working in close cooperation with the European Commission and High Representative Javier Solana.
During the morning, work was held within workshops on subjects focussed on the priorities of the Belgian Presidency. Pierre Jonckheer MEP (Green) raised the question of the goals of integration, stressing that the "Laeken Declaration risks coming to nothing if thoughts on the European Union's end-goals are not elucidated". He deplored the fact that "the debate on the content should be in the hands of Euro-sceptics, whereas pro-Europeans are further focusing on institutional issues such as the EU's future constitutional plans". He then warned that the "division observed between the Fifteen in Amsterdam and then in Nice risk being repeated in Laeken and in 2004". Finally, he recalled that "Belgium's traditional position in favour of democratic supra-nationality was frankly not in the majority within the Fifteen".
Peter Moors, the Deputy Chef de Cabinet of Belgium Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, spoke on Thursday evening in the absence of the latter. He stressed that the Belgian Government would focus on the Laeken Declaration on the reform of European institutions. For Moors, the key-word of Laeken will be the organisation of competencies. "We have to admit that Europe at times moves towards too many regulations (…). If Europe hands over part of its powers and if the distribution of tasks between the EU and Member States is definitively set, we can certainly regain their confidence", he declared, visibly addressing the Euro-sceptics that Belgium would like to bring back towards more moderation.