Brussels, 01/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - Several members of the Socialist Group who launched the initiative for a "new European federalism" (see EUROPE/Documents No2231, dated 3 March 2001) insisted during a conference on the fringe of the EP plenary session in Brussels that a Convention be convened to prepare the new IGC. They distributed a badge which reads: "Yes for Convention". The Convention should be transparent, open to the press and therefore also to citizens, said Portuguese Socialist Antonio José Seguro, co-rapporteur on the Treaty of Nice, for whom the post-Nice process has launched a "new way of thinking on Europe".
In response to questions on the ambiguity of the speech by Council President Anna Lindh on how appropriate or inappropriate it is to hold a Convention, during the debate on the Mendez de Vigo-Seguro report (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.3), Dutch Socialist Max van den Berg commented that Ms Lindh had spoken of a "forum" then of a "convention" and her remarks "explain the confusion of our governments" on this subject … Luxembourg Socialist Jacques Poos, who answered questions on the speech by Lionel Jospin on 28 May, affirmed that, within the Socialist Group, the approach by the French Prime Minister "greatly pleased us", as it first of all explains "why more Europe is needed". On the other hand, Mr Poos is not in favour of the strengthened European Council proposed by Mr Jospin (see EUROPE of 28/29 May, p.5, on the subject of his draft report on Council reform). French Socialist Pervenche Berès felt, for her part, that from the point of view of "method, content and density", Lionel Jospin's speech gives "the definition of a new horizon for the European Union". Lionel Jospin took a stance in favour of "strengthening the Community institutional triangle" and hence also strengthening each of its components, she stressed.