Brussels, 22/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, presented the European Commission's communication, "Foundations for the European Project" to the European Parliament (the Conference of Presidents including MEPs and very numerous). Mr Prodi declared that the, "time has come to launch a grand political project that our fellow citizens can identify with…that can offer solid, practical political responses to the doubts and fears besetting Europe", which must contain the basis for "supranational democracy". This European Commission contribution to the work of the European Convention will be followed by others involving the policies and competences of the Union, as well as specific institutional challenges. The starting point for the Commission project is that the EU has to take on new responsibilities, which as Mr Prodi stated, requires further intensification of the integration process, as indicated by the demand coming through loud and clear from all Member States for a greater Union dimension in economic, foreign, justice and security policies. Mr Prodi thus synthesised the Commission's proposals (which we will publish in full in Europe/Documents):
- Europe must defend a balanced model of society capable of reconciling economic prosperity and solidarity through dialogue, Mr Prodi stressed that co-ordinating economic policies would require a "mediator" that was coherent, impartial and who had all the necessary tools. This raises the issue of a "political voice" in economic policy co-ordination, a voice that would ensure "unitary representation for the Euro in international economic and financial institutions and organisations". (See yesterday's bulletin for further information on this subject).
- Guarantee security while abiding by the principles of freedom and justice, which calls for a common immigration and asylum policy, joint action on border controls and closer co-operation among police forces. The long-term objective is to establish common border controls and an integrated European police force to combat terrorism and organised crime.
- The EU must become a global actor on the world stage, which calls for greater security, defence, trade and development coherency and an end to current dissipated efforts. The roles of the CFSP High Representative and the Commissioner responsible for external relations should be progressively merged with the Commission, "in accordance with clearly defined criteria" step-by-step in keeping with a timetable worked out in advance. Mr Prodi believes that this could help prepare the new mechanisms of co-operation between the European Commission and the CFSP High Representative. Mr Prodi hammered home the fact that the Union had to speak with a single voice, which is what it had achieved in trade matters, the only area where it had enjoyed equality with the USA, a lesson to be learned for other areas.
Mr Prodi also indicated that:
- "Supra national democracy" required that the institutional architecture of the Union is designed and the decision-making process simplified, that the three current pillars in the Treaty were consolidated and the Union be given a single legal personality. Mr Prodi explained that the project carried out by the European University Institute of Florence at the Commission's request during the last IGC was crucial in that it pointed out the necessity of taking decisions on the Treaty's revision procedures.
- The Commission has an open mind on the question of competences. Mr Prodi was of the opinion that a "dynamic approach" was needed like the Lamassoure report, and stressed that the areas for action needed to be identified at a Union level for "added value", whilst still respecting the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.
The Commission will be presenting, before the summer, a proposal on the Union's own resources, as "the current system does not comply with subsidiarity and it obscures the necessary link between citizens' taxes and the EU budget". A new system is therefore proposed, that grants the budgetary authority - parliament and the Council - the power to impose a tax policy. "This is a fundamental prerogative of all democratically elected parliaments in the world", outlined Mr Prodi, to thunderous applause by MEPs.
The President of the Parliament, Pat Cox, welcomed Mr Prodi by emphasising that the inter-institutional strategic relation between Parliament and the Commission needed to be tackled together, as well as the new challenges, while preserving the Community method and preparing for the future "without undue conservatism".
A majority of MEPs in favour of a strong Commission - UEN and EDD against European Government
The political groups quite appreciated the Commission paper. This appreciation was especially strong with the EPP-ED, PES, Liberals, Greens and GUE on the defence of a strong Commission. The UEN and EDD, on the other hand, recalled their opposition to a "European Government". These "initial reactions", not always specified as to substance and expressed just after the adoption of the paper, will have to be more thought upon later, stressed Pat Cox, at the end of the addressed by the spokespeople of the political groups.
Speaking for the EPP-ED Group, Ingo Mendez de Vigo was more enthusiastic and precise.. The "music proposed by the Commission pleases me", and it "represents a completed symphony", and it is "ambitious" said the Spanish MEP, representing the Presidium of the Convention which welcomed the fact that the Commission had clearly stated that it was against an "a la carte Europe" and in favour of a strengthening of external policy, that "it places on the third pillar", economic policy and the European social model of society. "Community Europe is that of success (…) It has to be reformed not destroyed", declared Mendez de Vigo. The President of the PES Group, Enrique Baron Crespo, remained in the musical metaphor, but preferred to speak of "partition on which we shall be able to work". Having suggested that the Commission add a paragraph to its text on its role as executive, he criticised the latest intervention of Member States, and especially the Spanish Presidency, on the reform of the institutions and the asylum and immigration policy. "The model proposed by Aznar is that of the Holy Roman Germanic Empire and not the Community model", he deplored. Karin Riss-Jorgensen, speaking for the Liberals, spoke only a few words in which she drew a picture in which the Commission "plays an independent role, led independently (…) and that is not influenced by hone calls over the weekend from capitals". The Commission needs defending against the attempts by the Council to diminish its role", and develop the co-decision of the European Parliament", she said. Monica Frassoni, co-President of the Greens/EFA, called for "clarity" and less of "beating about the bush". The Commission speaks of reforming Justice and Home Affairs, as well as external policy but these issues are not even the subject of a working party in the European Convention, she complained. Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann, for the GUE/NGL Group, also defended the role of the Commission as "Guarantor of the Treaties" and the role of the European Parliament, and placed emphasis on the social policy that she wants to see co-ordinated in Europe. The tone changed with the intervention of Gerard Collins, for the UEN, who forcefully declared that "there is no European government", and that, in his opinion "there will never be one". The Commission "must not aspire to play that role", he added, insisting on the role of national parliaments, which he said, were closer to the citizens. Jens Peter Bonde, President of the EDD Group, also attacked the idea of a "European Government", waxing ironic over the competition that seems to have begun over the Presidency of the European Government: "Will it be that Blair or the President of the Commission", he wondered. European citizens would not feel represented by such a government, he said. According to him, the Commission must be the "Secretariat of Member States". Gianfranco Dell-Alba, member of the Bonino list, regretted that the Commission's paper and the speech by Romano Prodi should have been "rather silent" on the issue of a "Super-President" of the European Commission. To the text presented today, and "which was obviously accepted by the College, I'd have preferred the one that was going around a few days ago", he added.
"Bravo" say several MEPs to the Commission, others would like more details, especially on subsidiarity -
Prodi: national and European democracy are no contradiction - Cox invites
Giscard d'Estaing to speak to EP in Seville
By suggesting in particular that the "current treaty gathers together the pillars", the Commission made a "great effort at inverting the tendency compared to the break of the Maastricht Treaty", said Romano Prodi to the MEPs, stressing that, by this attempt of "re-composition" and the implementation of the Community method, the Commission wanted to "revive a "unitary character to our political action".
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I am here to defend the prerogatives of the European Commission, Mr Prodi insisted, considering (to applause from MEPs) that "it is the spirit of conservatism that can ruin the Convention", the defence of its prerogatives by each institution. "I was the first to do the opposite", he exclaimed.
"Firstly, Bravo", British Liberal Andrew Duff told Mr Prodi. As did French Socialist Pervenche Beres, who thanked the Commission for having produced the "reference document" requested by the European Parliament. The chairman of the constitutional committee, Antonio Napolitano (Democratici di sinistra) stressed how important it is to "give our contributions to the Convention as institutions" and the chair of the committee on foreign affairs, Elmar Brok, felt that the "decisive point" in the Commission's communication was the emphasis placed on the Community method (if we wish to strengthen the executive, then it can only be the Commission, as it is the only one that can be controlled, as it is not the case of the Council, he said). The Community method is fine but it is "not a religion", exclaimed British Liberal Nick Clegg, warning against the danger that the Parliament and Commission would congratulate themselves mutually for losing the battle (as during previous IGC, when "our little Community soldiers marched up the hill to be finally beaten. I hope that this Alliance of words" will become an alliance in fact, exclaimed Austrian Green member Hannes Voggenhuber, who deplored the fact that the Praesidium of the Convention is dominated by the governments. (It is not true, the Praesidium "is not under the control of the Council, it is open to intellectual confrontation" with all, launched President Prodi). Dutch Socialist Max van den Berg also expressed caution, denouncing the risk of excessive "euphoria", and British labour member Richard Corbett preferred to stress the issues that the Commission had "ducked", such as control of subsidiarity. The problem was also posed by the elected member of the Scottish National Party, Neil MacCormick, who noted above all that there are several levels of democracy in Europe. France's George Berthu said that it only played at national level as "there is no European people". Berthu accused the Commission of confusing "a need for increased co-operation", which really exists in Europe with "a need for increased Communitarisation". "If we continue like this, we shall not move forward", replied Romano Prodi, stressing that European democracy and national democracy were in no contradiction. It's all well to dare, "provoke" even, but suggestions need making that are not simple "provocations", said Diemut Theato, German Christian Democrat, chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control. German Social-Democrat, Jo Leinen, on the other hand, encouraged the Commission on the path it had begun even if it was a little "sybilline" regarding the external representation of the euro, and that it go could go further. Konrad Schwaiger, German Christian-Democrat, raised the problem of the powers of the European Parliament, wondering if it should not have similar powers to that of the American Congress.
Finally, Pat Cox announced that he had invited for a similar exchange of vioews, after the European Council of Seville, the Chair of the European Convention Valery Giscard d'Estaing (who has already been before the Constitutional Committee: Ed).