Brussels, 22/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament debate on Wednesday afternoon about the Barcelona Summit (see EUROP E of 21 March, p.6) allowed the MEPs to spend hours going over the details of the European Council conclusions, raising issues of concern or pleasure, according to their political leanings and specific interests. The criticisms did not always arise from the expected quarters, given that it is a Centre-Right Presidency. For example; CSU MEP Ursula Schleicher accused Heads of State of taking on Member States' work in Barcelona, making too great a sue of open co-ordination which she saw as profoundly undemocratic. Other MEPs spoke about issues which were not at the heart of the Barcelona discussions. Avril Doyle (EPP, Ireland) for example raised the issue of the ratification of the Nice Treaty in Ireland, hoping the Irish government would have "sufficient time to explain thoroughly and sincerely" to voters what the Treaty meant before the second referendum. Ireland "has never been neutral", asserted the Fine Gael MEP about the arguments in favour of the No vote in the 2001 referendum. Most of the Italian MEPs who spoke condemned the assassination in Bologna on Tuesday of Marco Biagi, Advisor to Minister Maroni (and former adviser to the then Prime Minister Romano Prodi, see EUROP E OF 21 March, p.4) like Forza Italia MEP Antonio Tajani (who like other Italians called for the setting up of a genuine EuroMed Bank, rather than simply an EIB facility) and a Lega Nord MEP, Borghezio, who said the "labour martyr" had worked for reform in line with the Lisbon process. Belgian Socialist Kathleen van Brempt regretted that Barcelona, which should have been the liberalisation summit, ended up being the summit of extending previous years' work, but she welcomed the conclusions on energy tax, an important issue in her view.
Spanish Socialist Raimon Obiols said that the huge number of peaceful demonstrators on the streets of Barcelona during the Summit confirmed the birth of a new European civil society. He voiced astonishment at hearing Mr Aznar say, after his own speech (not realising that his microphone was still switched on) that what he had just said was rubbish. A spat broke out between Basque MEP Koldo Gorostiaga, who called the Partido Popular MEP Jose Ignacio Salafranca the spokesperson for Spanish torturers, with Mr Salafranca retorting by accusing the Basque MEP of defending friends in the terrorist group ETA.
Concluding the debate, Spanish Secretary of State Ramon de Miguel responded to criticisms of the Barcelona outcome by saying that the true essence of the Lisbon sprit remained in balance. Of the Europeans protesting in the streets, he said that they were not the only people who had something to say. European Commission Vice-President Loyola de Palacio made similar comments along the lines that political legitimacy was found in parliament and elected governments, even though governments should listen to demonstrators (who remained peaceful in Barcelona almost until the end, she commented). The Energy and Transport Commissioner mentioned the conclusions on energy taxation among the Summit's positive results, seeing the issue as essential for the EU's development model.
After the debate, Parliament adopted a long 40-point resolution tabled by the EPP-ED, Socialist and Union for Europe of the Nations groups welcoming the Summit's general results, while highlighting the need to redouble efforts to implement a sustainable development strategy. The resolution also calls for the European Parliament to be fully associated with continuing the Lisbon and Gothenburg processes, supporting a speeding-up of the process of reforming pensions schemes faced with a rapidly ageing population. Parliament welcomed the participation of candidate countries in the first day of the Barcelona European Summit, wanting the Commission to add them to its summary document on the Lisbon strategy for next year. In terms of the energy markets, Parliament said it expected the next European Council to fix a date for opening up the energy market for private consumers, following the decision in Barcelona on business customers. On improving the functioning of the institutions, Parliament wants to be fully associated with the Council and Commission's work along the lines of the open co-ordination method (launched at the March 2001 Lisbon Summit) in areas such as pensions, healthcare and education, saying it was impatiently awaiting the setting up of an interinstitutional working group on simplifying administrative procedures before the Commission presented its Action Plan in this connection.
Politically, Parliament welcomed the Summit declaration on the Middle-East that coincides with the EP's own analysis of the gravity of the situation and calls on the Israelis and Palestinians to enter negotiations over Security Council Resolution 1397 and the recent initiative by the Saudi Crown Prince.