Ghent, 20/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - "We had a very encouraging and stimulating discussion on the future of Europe, especially for my colleagues, I hope, as I've no need of either stimulation or encouragement when I think of the Laeken declaration", said Guy Verhofstadt at his second press conference (where Romano Prodi was missing, but asked about that, the Belgian Prime Minister said that the President of the Commission had made his excuses as he had had to leave: "there is no eel under the rocks", he remarked).
We want "an ambitious Laeken declaration, not traditional, recognising the Union's weaknesses and the fears of the citizens, and clearly pointing the way for an enlarged Union in the world to come", Mr. Verhofstadt pointed out, stating that the Convention that is to prepare the next IGCL - will meet from the spring of 2002 (21 March, beginning of spring, he added) to June 2003; - will have a chair appointed by the European Council of Laeken, and a presidium which will "guide its work" and be composed of five members (chair and representatives of the four components: Member States, European Parliament, national parliaments, European Commission); - will communicate with a network of NGOs and representatives of civil society; - will host representatives of candidate countries, who will have an "advisory" role but not take part in "deliberations" (for example, they will not be able to alter a consensus reached among the participants of the current EU). Asked about Turkey's participation, Verhofstadt said that the issue still needed to be decided; *- will try to reach a consensus but, if not, will have to set ut options, but, he further stipulated, not a "list of options" on everything. Thus, it will indicate whether these options have a majority backing, a minority one, or are "individual".
As to the contents of the declaration, Mr, Verhofstadt said that he had had lengthy talks with his colleagues on the: - division of competences which, he noted. Has to be an "exercise that goes both ways" (certain things have to be "decentralised", but for others, like CFSP and asylum and immigration - the EU has to be "much more present"); - the democratisation of the institution an the role of national parliaments (which must not "become a fourth institution" at EU level, but may be "the guardians of the principle of subsidiarity".
Verhofstadt announced that he intended presenting "an initial attempt at a text" end-November, that he would then discuss in "individual contacts with members of the Council" and that, after these contacts, he would present new texts for the attention of the European Council of Laeken.