Brussels, 20/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - As we mentioned (see our Special edition of 17 June on the European Council of Gothenburg, p.2), the future Belgian Presidency of the EU Council intends being advised, in the debate on the future of Europe that should end in December with the adoption of the "Laeken Declaration", by a small group of high-level, high-profile people. Mr. Verhofstadt will receive these people of whom he is not expecting a written report on 26 June
It is being confirmed that these people will be former Belgian and Italian Prime Ministers Jean-Luc Dehaene and Giuliano Amato, as well as former European Commission President Jacques Delors and former Polish Foreign Minister Bonislaw Geremek, which enables a candidate country to be involved in this reflection on the future of Europe (Monday's Libre Belgique said that it was Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel who had wanted the former advisor to Lech Walesa at the time of Solidarnosc to be involved in the work). As for the presence of the former British Minister (today simply a back-bencher), Peter Mandelson, very pro-European and close to Tony Blair, this had not been confirmed on Wednesday, whereas the name of another pro-European, Robin Cook, who, since the 7 June elections is no longer Foreign Secretary, and is the new President of the Party of European Socialists, has been mentioned. Other persnalities from other Member states could join them.