Strasbourg, 06/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - The "legislator on a continental scale", that is the European Parliament "must earn the consent of today's generation", declared Parliament's new President, Pat Cox on Wednesday, setting out his priorities in plenary. I can summarise my ambition for this Parliament in one phrase, "create a Europe fit for its future", he said, also placing emphasis on "our ability to communicate what we are and what we do". Over two decades since the first European elections, we need a "more dynamic sense of parliamentarism", said Mr. Cox, stressing in particular the role Parliament must play within the Convention on the future of Europe. As for the other main challenges, President Cox:
- affirmed that Parliament "must be the place where the vitality of enlargement is expressed". Applauded by his colleagues, Cox said he wanted to invite the elected representatives of candidate countries to debates Parliament will have on enlargement, doubtless before the Summit of Seville in June and then in November, and proposed considering, as was the case before German reunification, a status of observer for parliamentarians of the candidate countries, as soon as the latter have signed the accession treaties. The parliamentarians of the future Member States will thus constitute "the avant garde of the new Europe", exclaimed Mr. Cox.
- raise the leading role Parliament must have in combating world poverty, disease, famine and defending human rights.
- considered that Parliament had to develop "more mature relations" with other institutions, notably with the Commission. He welcomed the "interim solution" found over legislation on financial services, stressing that "it is only an interim solution", while awaiting the outcome of the next IGC.
- placed emphasis on the importance of the internal reform of Parliament, raising in particular the statute of the European deputy. I want to come nearer to such a statute, working with the rapporteur, Willy Rothley and with other MEPs, Cox assured his audience, while noting that it was also up to the Council to "deliver" a solution (I've read the book by Nicole Fontaine, Mes Combats, where she deplores the "virtual impossibility" of making progress on this issue, he remarked). In that context, Mr. Cox cited the Corbett report on the reform of the rules of procedure, admitting that "it is still a matter of controversy".
Unanimity to greet observers - In favour of an internal reform that improves rights of small groups
The idea of inviting observers from the candidate countries received the consensus of all parliamentarians, to begin with by the President of the EPP-ED Group, Hans-Gert Poettering (who also raised the fight against terrorism, stating that, in the name of that fight, human rights had to not be violated, with an express mention of Chechnya). As for the Convention, all work must not be delegated to its presidency, but find a rhythm of work that gives everyone the chance of expressing themselves. The Socialist Group will loyally support the Cox Programme, said its President Enrique Baron, welcoming the primacy that Parliament's President wants to give to political debates. The Spanish Socialist also stressed that account would have to be taken of the serious deterioration lately observed in parliamentary immunity: "take this question seriously, our parliamentary dignity depends on it", he said. For the Liberal Group, Krin Riis-Jorgensen urged Parliament to place back the citizens at the centre of European construction, understand their needs and improve communication with them, and considered that Mr. Cox had the right idea of "allowing the female component of his personality to play", by showing imagination. Mr. Cox is right: Parliament must have broad political debates, but not limit itself to a "voting machine", said Nelly Maes, for the Green/EFA Group. But it has also to reform its work (taking account of the concerns of small groups), and provide itself with a statute of MEP and call on the Council, when it wants Parliament to vote on texts urgently, to first come explain itself in Committee. Combating citizens' disaffection: this, according to the President of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left, Francis Wurtz, has to be "Parliament's foremost obsession".: Suggestions to do so: organise, at the same time as the Convention, a campaign "that mouths open", to give the floor to the citizens, as, "if the Convention can shake-up the IGC, let's agree to citizens shaking-up the Convention"; - …/..
EP plenary session (cont.)
holding discussions at Parliament on topics of interest to specific groups - youth, women and civil society; put pressure on the Council and Commission concerning various symbolic legislative documents, like the directive on worker information and consultation, works councils or services of general interest while waiting for the desirable reform of the Treaties in this connection. Are we sure that our delegations responsible for relations with third countries "do justice" to the role Parliament can play in terms of external relations? Why doesn't Parliament launch dialogue with the Iranians, who so need it? Asked Gerard Collins on behalf of the Union for a Europe of the Nations, adding it was "time we became masters of our own policy". The co-President of Europe of Democracies and Differences, Jens-Peter Bonde, stressed the need for transparent voting and for a better sharing out of positions to the advantage of small groups who had to make do with crumbs left over by the big groups - let's change the d'Hondt system, he again insisted (when he withdrew his candidacy for the European Parliament's presidential elections, Mr Bonde was assured that a working group would look into this issue, Ed). The Danish MEP stressed that at the Convention on the future of Europe, all points of view had to be treated equally, and the deputy members should be able to participate in the Convention.
The 33 non-Inscribed MEPs are true second-class MEPs since they cannot table amendments or exercise full powers, lamented the Lista Bonino MEP Gianfranco Dell'Alba, pointing out that the case concerning the winding up of the technical group of independent MEPs was pending at the Court of Justice. Mr Dell'Alba asserted that the regulation on the Statute for Members of the European Parliament should not just settle financial issues but should finally decide on MEPs' work and prerogatives. He said that the Corbett Report on reforming the EP's Regulation was a "caricature" that solves nothing, slamming it in particularly for wanting to scrap emergency debates. British Labour MEP Richard Corbett refuted the claim that his report was biased against small groups, saying he was open to discussions with them but that consensus was beginning to form over the bulk of his proposals and he hoped to present theme to the plenary in March. Another British Labour MEP, David Martin (who had stood unsuccessfully against Pat Cox in the presidential elections) welcomed the new President's ability to take "tough decisions", and his desire to reform Parliament from within, but warned MEPs against spending the run-up to the next European elections "navel gazing". I will navel gaze for a moment to denounce the working conditions of "backbencher", shouted British Liberal Democrat Sarah Ludford, noting that the offices of ordinary MEPs were four times smaller than the offices of the General Secretaries of political groups and called for MEPs' computers to have flat screens so there was enough room for them in their "cramped" offices, and begged Mr Cox to "help us be efficient". The Partido Popular MEP Ana Palacio congratulated Mr Cox for his intelligent defence of MEPs' prerogatives, and called for dialogue with citizens. She also wanted MEPs to be given access to documents on screening candidate countries, furious that they were still being denied them. "Enthuse people, enthuse the Irish!" about enlargement, said the Irish EEP MEP Avril Doyle to Mr Cox, calling for language to be used that citizens could understand. The Belgian Liberal Willy De Clercq (who had written a report on information policy a few years ago) called on Mr Cox to launch dialogue with the media about the communications policy he was planning to pursue, stressing that what counted, was the actual substance.
Mr Cox: Corbett Report will be first test of EP's desire for change
In a press conference, Mr Cox pointed out that even though the time table and other details still had to be sorted out, he hoped that candidate countries' observers could attend the June or July sessions when they discussed enlargement. More generally, he asserted that the debate on the Corbett Report in March would be the first concrete test of Parliament's desire for change.
Asked what assurances he had received from the Spanish Presidency about the role of the European Parliament in the Lisbon process, Mr Cox said that after the statement he had made in Cork on the European company statute (see EUROPE of 2 February, p.8), Mr Aznar had rung him to suggest setting up an inter-institutional working group of the Presidents of the various institutions. The idea may not be very user-friendly, acknowledged Mr Cox, but since it aimed to identify areas of disagreement it will aid democracy and help reassure citizens.