Brussels, 26/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - AGORA, liaison network for research and reflection centres in the field of European construction created on the initiative of the International European Movement, discussed the future of Europe in Brussels last week under the chairmanship of Professor Jean-Victor Louis, chair of AGORA's "screening committee" and in the presence of Thomas Jansen, vice-president of the Executive Committee of the European Movement, and Pier Virgilio Dastoli, the Secretary General of the International European Movement. Participants heard an address by Jean-Luc Dehaene, member of the Laeken group helping Guy Verhofstadt in the debate on the future of Europe, and Professor Franklin Dehousse, advisor to the Belgian Presidency for the Laeken Summit.
Issues relating to the Convention that is to prepare the future IGC were discussed at this meeting, especially: - its composition. Participants stressed that government representatives would have to be high level ones and enjoy the personal confidence of the respective Heads of State or Government; - its Chair. Although the European Council "will doubtless appoint the Convention's Chair, it would be judicious that members of the presidium should be chosen by the Convention itself, says a note from AGORA.. Furthermore, the presidium's Secretariat must not come from the "Secretariat General of the Council", but be made up of the different components of the Convention; - civil society. According to the participants in the meeting, it is not desirable that the European Council should itself draw up the rules on how to take account, within the Convention, of the opinions of groups and associations representing civil society; - the expected results. According to AGORA, the Convention should "make political recommendations with a strong majority, and, if need be, the expression of the point of view of the minority", and may not limit itself to scenarios, but will have to "guide the choices"; - the remit. It has not to be limited to the four "themes" of the Nice Declaration. Among the other subjects mentioned: the question of "Executive or government", the problem of the EU's finances.
AGORA also decided to meet: in Barcelona in March 2002, to discuss, on the initiative of Teresa Freixes, President of the European Law Institute, the delimitation of powers in the EU. On that issue, AGORA considers that, just as the cost of the "non-Europe" has been the subject of a series of important reports (Catherwood, Albert-Ball, Cecchini), questions should be raised as to the cost of "certain options put forward" regarding powers at different EU levels; - in Naples in April 2002, on the initiative of Professor Piero Craveri, Doyen of the Faculty of Political Sciences, to discuss the "Union's system of government" and European political parties. (Information: European Movement, Square Meuus, 25, 1000 Brussels. Tel.: 02 508 30 88. Fax: 02 508 30 89. E-mail: secretariat@europeanmovement.skynet.be).