Strasbourg, 04/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - President Romano Prodi used the opportunity of the return of the European Parliament to work, to officially present the White Paper on Governance, which had been adopted by the European Parliament at the end of July when MEPs had already begun their summer vaction. The presentation was followed by contributions made by spokespersons of the political groups whilst awaiting a full debate due to take place at the next plenary session in Brussels.
Mr Prodi drew attention to the fact that, "For many years, the European Union project was seen as our only hope - and today it is still the only concrete, practical and democratic response to galloping globalisation. Our citizens rightly see that no individual counctry can, on its own, withstand the powerful external forces that threaten to break up our societies." He also noted that, "many events have cast doubt on our ability to deliver" and that, "The situation has not been improved by some of the opportunities we missed at Nice". According to the President of the European Commission, "it is therefore our duty, and a matter of urgency, to publicly rethink and rewrite our rules of governance". He also added that, "When we speak of "governance" we are, in fact, discussing democracy. European democracy, how it works, why it doesn't work better and what its propects are". Mr Prodi pointed out that the Commission had decided to procede in three stages: the White Paper discusses how European governance could be improved without changing the founding treaties; the Commission would very soon announce its position on the "Laeken Process"; the Commission would say what substantive amendments it believed should be made to the founding Treaties, whilst taking the fullest possible account of the opinions expressed in the debate triggered by the White Paper and the criticisms and suggestions made by Parliament.
Insisting on the necessity of getting, "citizens more closely involved in defining EU policies", Mr Prodi emphasised that Parliament remained the place, "where the peoples of the Union are democratically represented". He indicated that the "task must not to be to oppose other forms of public opinion" but rather, to channel it, finding new and better ways of entering into dialogue with local authorities and civil society. He also called for the Union's policies to be addressed in "clear and simple language" in order to make Brussels "less remote, less alien". According to Mr Prodi, "We must encourage the emergence of a "'network Europe' where all levels of governance are involved in shaping, implementing and monitoring EU policies". Mr Prodi explained that it was within this context that the Commission had proposed criteria for transparency during the consultation process preceding the adoption of its proposals. He also noted that Parliament could in this way monitor both the, "quality and the impartiality of the consultation process", which would help it to take its own decisions in the course of the legislative process.
Pointing out the ways in which the White Paper could help EU action to be more efficient, Mr Prodi was keen to highlight the necessity of giving preference to the regulatory path and applying it directly, thus avoiding the common accusation of the EU, that member States do not apply the Directives correctly. Mr Prodi was also critical of the committee procedures and the "opaque way" in which the Council of Ministers operates, as well as the inability of the General Affairs Council to reconcile sectoral conflicts of interest before the European Council. The President of the Commission called for a clarification of the different roles and responsibilities of the different European institutions, which need to refocus on their core tasks and policies.