Brussels, 28/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - José Maria Aznar, President of the European Council, opened the inaugural session of the Convention on the future of Europe on 28 February, in Brussels. He said that Europe must redefine its role in a greatly changed world and the breakdown of powers in order to "define what we want to do together", but also "this exercise that must not result in a step backward for the European project". "We must continue to do together what we have done together so far", stressed the Spanish Prime Minister, saying that it will be necessary to "develop and perfect two basic ideas of the integration process": that of achieving balance between the deep cultural unity of Europe and its obvious historic diversity. In his view, the political future of Europe must be that of "pluralistic constitutionalisation", that respects differences of organisation within Member Sates; - the "progressive" attribution to the Union of policies that had hitherto belonged to the "exclusive national sphere". Mr Aznar, who insisted on "relations of synergy" between the Convention and the European Council, considers, moreover, that "consolidation of the model" of the Convention would have "enormous significance" for the "necessary evolution of the established decision-making system" in the EU.
European Parliament President Pat Cox welcomed the Convention in the "place where the idea of this Convention was born" (see also page 6), hoping it would be a success and remarking that "success will have many fathers". This Convention is "truly continental in scale", he noted (to which he was warmly applauded) speaking to representatives of candidate states. He told members and their substitutes: "we would urge you not just to be a talking but also a listening Convention". For the Parliament, he added: "this Convention should pave the way for a permanent dialogue with our peoples, the social partners, civil society, states and regions". "By following the parliamentary method your work will be on the public record", said Mr Cox speaking to the Convention members, and saying that on questions concerning "institutional balance and prerogatives, the European Parliament will emphasise the need to conserve intelligently without being conservative". The Fathers of Europe, after a devastating war, had seen "all too clearly what was, but they were prepared to dream of what could be", recalled Mr Cox, who concluded by citing the Irish poet, Yeats, who said: "I have spread my dreams under your feet: Tread softly because you tread on my dreams".
European Commission President Romano Prodi affirmed yet again that one should first of all ask the question "But what is the project for the Europe of the future, for tackling the institutional problems only after having defined this project. "We have to give ourselves a Constitution, which marks the birth of Europe as a political entity" but "we must not forget the unique nature of European integration". He recalled that the originality of the EU is that it is a union of peoples and States and that the "real aim is not to build a superstate". "We have to adapt (…) to the unique structure of Europe. These are: the separation of powers, majority voting, public debate and a vote by the people's elected representatives on all legal texts and approval of taxes by Parliament", he said. In his view, the Union's decision-making system must be reviewed, and the missions and powers exercised at Union level must and may be "devolved to the Member States", and "it does not mean preserving at all cost what time calls on us to change". At the same time, Mr Prodi insisted on the need to share sovereignty "if we are able to exercise it in any real sense (as we have done in the case of the currency). We must recognise the need for institutions which are responsible for the general interest. We must ensure that all States are treated equally".
Giscard d'Estaing calls for "the Convention spirit" and wide consensus on single project
In his long speech that followed those of the presidents of the three institutions, a very smiling Valéry Giscard d'Estaing spoke of the organisation of the Convention's work that he is to chair and, already, certain matters of substance. Thus, his immediate proposal regarding the text that the Convention is to adopt (and speaking in English) was: "to avoid semantic disagreements, let's agree not to call it a constitutional treaty". As, he said, "if we manage, during the third phase of our work (that on "recommendations") to propose a treaty that is "readable for all", and if we manage a broad consensus on a single project, then we shall open the way towards a constitution for Europe".
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing spoke of the "immense task" that the Convention has before it, considering the "relatively short" time it has in hand, just one year. He addressed his colleagues calling them "the conventionals", and said they were neither an Intergovernmental Conference nor a Convention but "a group of men and women gathered together in order to develop a project (…). The principle of our existence, is our unity". In his view, the representatives of the different components should not only consider themselves as "spokespersons" for those who designated them but, in all loyalty to their mandate, they must provide a "personal contribution" to the work done in common. "The Convention cannot succeed if it is limited to putting divergent views forward. We must reach a common approach as the months go by", Mr Giscard d'Estaing pounded home. He urged his colleagues to show "the spirit of the Convention, outwards to listen, and inwards to propose". To those who have expressed the fear that the Praesidium would have an excessively important role, he gave his assurance (speaking in German) that it is normal for a Praesidium to organise the work of an assembly such as this, but said "we are the Convention and its results will to a large extent depend on what we put into it" (see next page also).
The former President of the French Republic made quite clear the level of ambition that he has for the Convention at several points in his speech. In particular, he remarked that "our Convention is the first opportunity, since Messina in 1955, when European decision-makers can have the means and the time for indepth reflection on the future of Europe", which makes this exercise "a new intellectual base for the future". He called for "enthusiasm, a word of Greek origin that means 'inspired by God', and in our case inspired by a goddess, Europe". At the same time, he warned on several occasions against the dangers of failure in this new venture. If we fail, he warned, not even the greatest among us will carry enough weight in the world and we will all be faced with a morose reflection of ourselves. If we fail, he said, we will add to the current confusion surrounding the European project which, as we know, will not be capable after enlargement of carrying on a management system for the continent that is effective and understandable to public opinion. If we succeed, however, in defining a plan for a European Union that matches the size of the continent and the demands of the 21st century, then we will have the feeling of having contributed to writing a new chapter in Europe's history books. Mr Valéry Giscard d'Estaing recognised that the European integration process was showing signs of running out of steam, with ever more complicated decision-making procedures, and Treaties that after Maastricht have become more difficult to revise and often national interests coming ahead of the common interest and abstention in European elections which, in 1999, exceeded the highly symbolic threshold of 50%. If we succeed, "in 25 or 50 years" Europe "will have greatly changed role in the world" and could be treated as an equal with the "major powers", existing or to come, he added. Among the current difficulties, Giscard d'Estaing highlighted that of "reconciling a strong feeling of belonging to Europe with the retention of national identity", "relatively new demand" on the part of Europeans, he observed.
As for the three "phases" that he is envisaging for the Convention's work, Mr. Giscard d'Estaing stated that the first, the "listening" phase, will have to be conducted "without preconceived ideas", giving preference to two targets, the young (who would like a "Convention of the Youth of Europe", that would meet like the Convention he is chairing, and the countries candidates for EU accession. In the next phase, we shall ask Europeans how they "imagine Europe in 50 years", a "more uniform Europe, driven by a dynamic of harmonisation", or a Europe placing emphasis on the respect of historic and cultural diversity, he said. One question that arises is that of the distribution of powers, he observed, noting that, here, "we could have recourse to the very enriching work of the European Parliament" (allusion to the report being prepared by Alain Lamassoure: Ed).
Mr. Giscard d'Estaing said that the Convention would also "carefully" examine the contributions to discussions on the future of Europe that are currently in circulation, and cited in particular in this context, the proposals on an "organisation along federal lines", as suggested by "high level" German officials, or the suggestions going along those lines, like that aimed at establishing a new chamber (composed of representatives of national parliaments).