Paris, 29/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - In his speech to the Institute for Political Studies in Paris, the European Commission President, Romano Prodi, noted that European citizens, of which 90% assign ambitious priorities to the Union (he cited peace keeping and security, the fight against unemployment, against organised crime and social exclusion), do not feel concerned with the way in which the Union functions. This is the sign that it is time to do Europe differently, said Mr Prodi before speculating: the time has come to build a political Europe. By redefining the "European project", by bringing our aims into the light of day, we can ensure that Europeans appropriate Europe, continuing: from this point of view, I share the opinion expressed yesterday by the French Prime Ministers Lionel Jospin: Europe is firstly a political project. Before any institutional negotiation, we must first define what are our objectives. Raising the internal objective of the Union, Mr Prodi especially insisted on prosperity, solidarity, and sustainable development. With regards to the issue of solidarity, he notably saw that the time quickly arrives when we must debate the common agricultural policy of tomorrow and structural policy after enlargement. We must build together to implement, in the Union, an economic based on sustainable development. This concept seems abstract to some. Though for you youths, it is not as it is the expression of solidarity between generations, said Mr Prodi to the students, before explaining that the Union must also promote greater social cohesion. Among the external objectives, he notably cited peace, "governance" and the defence of global sustainable development (he reiterated the EU's undertaking for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol).
"The current structure of the Union, which embodies both the Community pillar and intergovernmental circles, is probably outdated", said President Prodi, who called at length for Community procedure. The management of economic and monetary Union is neither effective nor coherent, he explained, reaffirming the need for a "true economic government". He went on to specify that "only the Commission, on a mandate from the Council, may be the interlocutor with the European Central Bank" since it is the Commission that embodies the Community's general interest. "Regarding foreign policy (which according to Mr Prodi continues for now to "falter"), like elsewhere, it is illusory to expect results from an intergovernmental system", declared Mr Prodi. He also made it clear that the High Representative for CFSP would be far more effective if he were a member of the European Commission. In the third pillar, the Parliament and the Court of Justice should be able to play their essential role as guardian of public liberties. The vote, the normal procedure in a democratic area, must become the rule, and make it possible to come out of the "paralysis" that so often arises from the search for consensus. "In order to overcome the reticence expressed by some, there is only one solution: the vote", said President Prodi, who called for "a majority culture in which decisions reflect the will of the greatest number but which are imposed on all". After having evoked the Charter of Fundamental Rights which confers an "indispensable legitimacy" on the Union and launches a new European constitutional process, Mr Prodi recognised that the sharing of powers between the Union and the States is a "central issue". "The answer, I believe, must not just be sought in terms of abstract power, in watertight and definitive compartmentalisation", he continued. He felt that "we must encourage compartmentalisation less, of whatever kind, and rather allow the different levels to decide in a complementary manner". Noting that some will be seeking to renationalise Community policies and others to extend Community competence to new areas, he said: "For my part, I would enter into this debate without second thoughts, thinking of the substance and seeking, on a case by case basis, how we can best achieve our aims: through separate or shared competences". The control of subsidiarity must be incumbent upon the Court of Justice, Mr Prodi also said. Finally, insisting on the need to consolidate democracy, he felt that it is a temptation to stick national solutions on the Community reality, but it is probably not the solution to everything. He went on to underline the importance of agreeing to taxation for building up a democracy, and recommended the creation of a European tax.