Paris, 26/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Movement France chaired by Anne-Marie Idrac adopted a document of the "Deadline of 2004" in which it asserts its desire to "maintain all its position and fully play its part as a catalyst for federalist ambitions" in the debate over the future of an enlarged Union. At this stage, and in accordance with the guidelines voted by the International Federalist Movement, the European Movement France confirms, in this document, the call for the Laeken European Council to lead to the establishment of a Convention, excluding the intergovernmental movement, which retakes its right at the end of the post-Nice process, and that the agenda of this Convention is not limited to the list set out in Nice, but targets the establishment of a true European constitution.
Thus, the European Movement France feels that three main questions must be answered, namely:
The setting out of competences, which must be broached with the concern to move towards a more readable Europe, more concerned with the general interest of the Union, less sensitive to the pressure groups, more respectful of the range of national situation. The Movement refuses a list of positive competences for the Union, as it contains in its roots a deep revaluation of the Community acquis and proposes a framing for the principal of subsidiarity for which an interinstitutional agreement between the Commission, the Parliament and the Council will define the implementation, for the issues that correspond to the main aims of the Union in each of the three pillars.
Governance in Europe, on which it is necessary to hold, before undertaking the organisation of the executive, legislative and control functions, a prior debate on the elements forming a European public area. In this context, the Movement intends to change method of election for the next elections in the European Parliament to be not only regional, but to also become, at least in part, transnational. (The Commission should present its document on European governance in July, but it is probable that the drafting of this document takes longer: Ed.).
The proper usage of enhanced cooperation, in particular by widening "without restriction", to all the pillars, the procedure decided upon in Nice. It is thus that, to accompany in terms of economic, taxation and social policies the establishment of the Euro, the Eurogroup could be first to experiment with the new procedure, feels the European Movement France.