On 21 June, the Prime Ministers of the Benelux countries - Guy Verhofstadt for Belgium, Wim Kok for the Netherlands and Jean-Claude Juncker for Luxembourg - presented a memorandum in Brussels on the future of Europe, proposing not only a timetable but also priorities (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.5). We reproduce the text of the memorandum in full (in French and in English) in our series EUROPE/Documents.
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BENELUX MEMORANDUM ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE
I. The debate
The European Union is now preparing for an unprecedented wave of enlargement which is set to substantially alter the European construction. The Union must seize this historic opportunity to ensure Europe's long-term stability, security and prosperity.
Beyond the Treaty of Nice, which has to be ratified in order to open the way for enlargement, the Union needs to impose its identity in a world that is undergoing deep-rooted political, economic and technological change. It must develop its policies to better respond to the expectations of Europe's citizens.
The stakes are such that a wide-ranging debate now needs to be held on the future of Europe. By involving the citizens and the civil society closely in this debate, fresh impetus can be given to the whole process of European integration. This debate will make it possible to define objectives, establish a delimitation of powers, develop more in-depth policies and improve the Union's methods and instruments.
The European institutions need to be adapted in such a way that the enlarged Union is better understood and functions better, allowing the citizens to identify more closely with it.
II. Rising to the challenges facing the European Union
Living up to citizens' expectations
Public opinion is increasingly loosing interest in the European Union. The Union needs to find a better response to citizens' concerns. Above all, we need to strengthen our policies and avoid limiting our actions solely to institutional development.
If the European citizen is to have a better understanding of the aims and mechanisms of the Union then we must ensure greater transparency and better communication.
The future development of the European Union hinges on European citizens' concerns being taken into account. It is only by achieving concrete results that have a direct impact on daily life -such as the improvement of the food safety, the internal security, health and environmental protection - that the EU will move closer to the citizen. The establishment of a real European social model and the objective of full employment are other responses to this concern.
A stronger identity in a more global context
The Union must be in a position where it can influence monetary, commercial, economic, social and environmental global developments. To this end, it has further developed its capacity for innovation, job creation and social inclusion. It has also invested in the knowledge economy. These efforts will help the EU forge a stronger identity in a globalized environment.
With regard to international policy, the Union has developed new instruments to further enhance its influence and to assert its responsibility. Public support for the continued development of a common foreign, security and defence policy highlights the importance that citizen attaches to the political progress being made in the process of European integration.
III. Building on shared values
These values are the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and democracy. The Union is built around a social concerned with the well-being of all, the environmental quality, and the battle against exclusion. The Union respects the diversity of the cultures and peoples that together form its wealth. The Union must continue to develop the solidarity with other nations and actively contribute to the promotion of peace in the world.
These are the values that define our identity and which constitute the foundations of the whole European integration process.
The proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights demonstrated the great importance that the Union attaches to these values. The EU must adhere to the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Union objectives need to be defined on the basis of these values which will determine the means of achieving them and help us rise to the challenges.
IV. Managing the Europe of the future
In order to maintain the dynamism of the integration process in an enlarged Europe, the governments of the Benelux countries believe that a constitution should be developed for the European project. Moreover, the institutional structure of the Union should be modified to take account of its new configuration. The Benelux governments therefore reiterate their attachment to enhanced cooperation.
A constitution for the European Union
The governments of the Benelux states would like to see the European project rooted in a constitution. They suggest that the following issues be given particular attention:
Ensuring a better description of the powers of the European Union and the Member States, of how these powers are exercised and how the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality should be applied. This examination must not jeopardize key elements of the acquis communautaire such as the single market, the single currency and competition policy, nor should it hamper the continued dynamic development of the European Union, a.o. on the basis of art. 308 of the Treaty.
Simplifying the European treaties and bringing them together in a basic constitutional treaty and a part devoted to policy areas with specific revision procedures. The constitutional treaty would include the Union's values and the fundamental rights of the citizen, along with the powers of the Union, common institutional provisions and the rules governing decision-making. This work could be based on the study carried out by the European Institute in Florence.
An adapted institutional structure
The three Benelux governments wish to develop a more balanced, more democratic and more efficient and transparent institutional system:
Strengthening and extending the Community method.
Giving the Union a legal personality.
Having a European Parliament which, alongside a Council performing its legislative role, is able to develop as a full legislative institution, including in the field of budgetary expenditure.
Strengthening the European Commission, the driving force for integration, the action of which must be centered on the tasks conferred upon it by the Treaty.
Electing the Commission President by the European citizens at the time of the European elections.
the modalities of collective or individual dismissal of members of the European Commission and as corollary, the dissolution of the European Parliament in the framework of the interinstitutional equilibrium.
Rationalising the work of the Council, in particular by drawing a distinction between legislative, political and deliberative functions.
In general making use of qualified majority voting which, in legislative matters should go hand in hand with the codecision procedure.
Increasing the consistency and efficiency of the EU's external action and representation.
V. The way ahead
A broad agenda
The themes of the Nice Declaration require broader consideration.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights refers to the European identity and the binding nature of the Union's values.
Establishing a delimitation of powers requires further examination of our policy objectives and the means of achieving them, and of the level of responsibility for ensuring successful completion.
An improved association of national parliaments requires the examination of democratic control in the Union while ensuring that the correct balance is struck between the European institutions: the Commission, Council, European Parliament, European Court of Justice and Committee of the Regions.
Simplifying the treaties will make the Union more understandable and will pave the way up for an EU constitution.
The identification of the challenges that the European Union is facing, the initial indications arising out of the public debate and the positions adopted by a number of leaders on the future of Europe all confirm the dynamism of this undertaking. These things lead the Benelux governments to conclude that the Laeken European Council should draw up a concrete and ambitious agenda making it possible to rise to the challenges identified, better incorporate the values of the Union, manage the Europe of the future and promote the role of Europe in the world.
Timetable and method
The three governments have decided to work towards these objectives in accordance with the following timetable and method.
The debate on the future development of the European Union is divided into three distinct phases: a) an open exchange of views and a wide-ranging debate (2001); b) a structured debate in parallel with the Forum (2002-2003), and c) a short Intergovernmental Conference establishing the changes to be made to the treaties (2004).
The European Council of Brussels-Laeken will make recommendations on the structured continuation of the wide-ranging debate and its conclusion in 2003. The governments of the Benelux are of the view that civil society in general must be able to participate in the debate, while regular debate summaries will also be required.
The European Council of Brussels-Laeken in December will be tasked with clarifying for the citizen the direction of the integration process. This means having to explain the "what and the why" of the European Union.
The European Council of Brussels-Laeken will also define the procedure to be followed. For the Benelux governments, responsibility for preparing for the work of an IGC must lie with a Forum chaired by a leading European political figure.
The Forum will consist of the representatives of national parliaments, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the governments of the Member States. The candidate countries can also contribute to the work according to arrangements to be decided. The President may take initiatives for consulting the regions. He will also be responsible for contacts with civil society.
The President of the Forum will be responsible for the general organization and coordination of work depending on the issues to be handled. He will give regular progress reports to the Council of the European Union and the European Council, and will remain in contact with the ongoing and simultaneous public debate.
The Forum will be given a broad but precise mandate by the European Council. The agenda will include fundamental issues as well as institutional concerns.
The Forum will draw up recommendations and options with a view to the subsequent modification of the treaties at the forthcoming IGC.