Brussels, 14/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come, asserted on Friday morning, when quoting Victor Hugo, the President of the European Parliament Nicole Fontaine over the thought process on the future of Europe, before the Heads of State and Government of the EU and the European Commission, gathered at the Laeken Summit. The aim is to unite our States and people over a project that reshapes the united Europe without destroying its aquis, and the Laeken declaration must mobilise the energies of a unified continent, which will soon have half a billion men and women, and whose expectations with regards to the Union considerably exceed institutional issues, she felt, while adding that to comfort or find the support of the people, it is necessary to open-up European democracy. The Parliament would thus like a dialogue to be formed with civil society throughout the work of the future Convention and, especially, hope that the great reform (…) bring value to the Community method, not through ideology, but through realism, as, if the European institutions are not strengthened, in a Europe of close to thirty members, unanimity will be nearly inaccessible, she said, while recalling that, according to the Parliament, the final text of the Convention should be a single and coherent proposal, that the laps of time between the end of the Convention's works and the opening of the IGC should be as short as possible, and that a Constitution for the Union, for which the Charter of Fundamental Rights is the preamble, should be able to crystallise the work of the Convention and the future IGC. I do not doubt that you take into consideration the suggestions formulated in our resolution of last 29 November, said Mrs Fontaine to the summit participants. The President of the parliaments from several candidate countries have explained to me their desire to be represented in the Presidium of the future Convention, and I submit this request to you, she added. Moreover, in the context of enlargement, she revealed the negative impact that could be felt by public opinion in Romania and Bulgaria with the announcement of the accession of ten new Member States before 2004, and hoped that the opportunity be given to these two countries to make up their delay (or if they truly do not fulfil the accession criteria, that we agree with them over a precise timetable showing that they are already "in the family").
As for the fight against terrorism, Mrs Fontaine assured in particular that the Parliament would approve as of next Monday, during the special session in Brussels on the European Council, the European arrest warrant, which it strongly supports.
Mrs Fontaine, in noting that she was speaking for the last time to the European Council as President of the European Parliament, added that she would be leaving her duties with the feeling that the "delicate period" marked by the forced "resignation of the previous European Commission", which had "destabilised" the institutional triangle "is happily behind us". Today we have the means for a balanced cooperation between the Parliament, the Council and Commission, she felt, while stating her trust in the Spanish Presidency to continue down this path.
Finally, after having raised the escalation of violence in the Middle East and the awarding of the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize to an Israeli and a Palestinian united in the pain of loosing a child and in the desire to continue, despite this, to fight for peace and reconciliation, Mrs Fontaine hoped that the EU adhere, through concrete actions, to the United Nations initiative, which decreed the 2001-2010 period decade for the culture of peace and non-violence for all the children of the world.
In the her press conference, Mrs Fontaine raise in particular:
Parliament's great concern (which it expressed in a resolution on which we will return) as to the possibility of extradition towards countries that impose the death penalty. I had the feeling that this concern was "widely shared" by the Heads of State and Government, she said when answering a question.
The possibility of Romania and Bulgaria catching-up. Yes, I am in favour of enhancing the support to be given to these two countries for them to be able to catch-up their delay, indicated Mrs Fontaine for whom, if Romania and Bulgaria cannot accede at the same time as the other candidates, it will be necessary to, at least, set a clear course: if it is not in 2004, maybe 2006 or 2007, she said.
The Convention. The known candidates for the Presidency are all "excellent candidates" and the Parliament will not have any difficulty either with Giscard d'Estaing, nor with Delors, nor with Amato, asserted Mrs Fontaine, who also felt that the idea of adopting by Convention a "single and coherent" document is widely accepted.