Brussels, 05/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, President of the European Commission Romano Prodi presented to the press the communication that the Commission had just adopted on the future of Europe, in order to "set out ideas ahead of the Laeken European Council". He stressed that the main theme of the document was the "need to strengthen the Community Method" and that it was not a question of "altering all the checks and balances we have put in place (…) or radically altering our institutions". The convening of a Convention to prepare the future reform is "a sign of democratic vitality", all the more as the idea was not acquired just a few months ago, he remarked. The Convention must succeed, said Mr Prodi, stressing that "we cannot wait for extraordinary events like those of 11th September before putting our commitments into action" (He added that we must not be like those who say they are going to stop smoking "tomorrow"); Mr Prodi expects the work of the Convention will result in a "text adopted by consensus. This does not mean unanimously at all costs". In addition, the Convention may, if necessary, on some points "reflect minority options". (The text of the communication, that we shall be publishing in full, affirms: "Experience in negotiating the charter of fundamental rights shows that working by consensus is worthwhile and obviates the need to seek unanimity. The Commission feels, however, that dominant trends and more isolated positions must be brought out, so as to preserve the quality of the work done by the convention. (…) The Commission will not be satisfied with a watered-down consensus". According to Mr Prodi, the Convention should assess: how and with what instruments the Union could fully achieve the main objectives set out in the treaties; - how to simplify the treaties; - how to establish new criteria for deciding who does what in the Union; - how to consolidate the legislative role of the European Parliament; - how to improve the identification of the Council's legislative function; - and how to focus Commission action on its fundamental missions, mainly of the executive kind. It will then be necessary to extend qualified majority in order to allow the Union of 27 to function properly, concluded Mr Prodi. In answer to the question of how one can convince Member States to accept such extension, he exclaimed that anyone of any sense would know that unanimity is absolutely impossible in a Union that could have ten Member States more tomorrow. He went on to note that there should still be unanimity on certain issues such as the admission of new members, and spoke of the "moment when majority vote coincides with good faith".
Institutional Affairs Commissioner Michel Barnier, alongside Mr Prodi, said the Laeken Declaration must set out the political guidelines of the Convention while considering that there is no consistency between the four Nice sections, which are the point of departure, and that it will be necessary to place them in a political perspective. Neither must the Convention draw up a list of good and bad ideas going round, he said, as it must not be a "universal exhibition". He stressed that once again the convention must do useful and useable work for the IGC and, above all, raise two fundamental questions: What do we want to do together? How can we improve the democratic legitimacy and the effectiveness of the Union? Mr Barnier said we must reflect on the project, on its political meaning, and take the time to sketch it out, before taking up the tool box. He announced that, in the first months of 2002, the Commission will fuel the work of the Convention on four issues: - the future of the Commission, its legitimacy, the clarification of authority, the EU's external representation, the new Treaty and the differentiated evolution of its different elements (Ed. Which would be the idea of having a treaty in two parts, with one easier to ratify).
Romano Prodi and Michel Barnier replied to questions on:
- The Chair of the Convention. "Big, small, fat? You could put a face to any profile …", said a smiling Prodi, in answer to a question on the "ideal profile" of the future chairperson. The latter should have authority and be able to make "all the intellectual energy ferment" within the Convention, he added, noting that this had been the case of the Chair of the Convention that drew up the Charter of Fundamental Rights (former German President Roman Herzog). As for Mr Barnier, he felt that the future Chair should know how to give a meaning to the difficult tasks to be managed and be listened to by the European Council. Answering questions on the candidature of Jacques Delors (see below), Mr Prodi simply declared that the task of the Commission was not to "make names".
Will the chair of the Convention be the subject of bargaining in Laeken with the choice of headquarters of the new European agencies? I have full confidence in the work of mediation of the Presidency, Mr. Prodi replied.
- the IGC. If the Commission starts working on 1 March, it could conclude its work in "one year-fourteen months", said Mr. Prodi, for whom, following a period of "four, five, six analysis, the Intergovernmental Conference could, be completed "in February 2004 or end-2003" so as not to interfere with the electoral campaigns of the next European elections (You may recall that Italy chairs the Council in the second half of 2003, and Ireland the first half of 2004).
- position of Commissioners on the communication. The communication was adopted through unanimity, Mr. Prodi repeated in answer to a question (some Commissioners were not there, like Mr. Patten, who "left a letter with notes", he stipulated). Other than the "personal ideas" of each ("including my own"), the approach was genuinely collegial, confirmed Mr. Barnier, recalling the discussions of over three hours that had taken place in Knokke Saturday afternoon between Commissioners.