Brussels, 07/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - During their debate this morning on the role of the national parliaments, the Members took a stance above all for "improvements in the system, and the fine-tuning of certain practices", said Valéry Giscard d'Estaing on Friday as he closed the first plenary session of the Convention targeted on specific themes (see above for the JHA themes). He went on to add: "but perhaps public opinion expects more of us. We should not live in a closed space (…) I therefore call for more dramatic initiatives not to be excluded in the working group on the role of the national parliaments in order to give more democratic visibility to the system (…). After all, we shall have relations with 500 million people". Gisela Stuart, representative of the House of Commons who is to chair the group, smiled as she heard this incentive to envisage something "more audacious".
On Friday morning, the Members were practically unanimous in rejecting the creation of new institutions (such as the second parliamentary house) and concentrated more on practical suggestions allowing the role of national parliaments to be strengthened. For some, this could be done on the basis of COSAC, which gathers MEPs and members of the committees on European affairs within national parliaments (but the representative of the Luxembourg parliament, Ben Fayot, recognised that it is quite widely considered "feeble", and spoke more in favour of setting up an "ad hoc structue" that should meet "depending on the problems raised". For others (such as the representative of the Irish parliament, John Bruton) it is necessary to renounce cooperation with the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, while very many insisted above all on improving national parliamentary control over European decisions taken by national governments. In this context, the "Scandinavian model" was covered with praise by several MEPs who were clearly envious of the system that gives their Danish, Finnish and Swedish counterparts a better hold on their government.
An examination of "best practices" in Member states will indeed be useful, said Gisela Stuart, regarding the means of scrutiny by national parliaments of their own governments. And she stressed, backed by other members of the Convention, that national parliaments in particular "take this duty very, very seriously", regarding their governments in areas that escape the control of the European Parliament. We must also raise the question, "much more difficult", of the "connection" with citizens, she said.
Let's not create new institutions that would further complicate the system, pleaded Matti Vanhanen, representative of the Finnish Parliament, while placing emphasis on the respect of subsidiarity, subject that turned up in very many interventions, including by members of the Convention of candidate countries, like Michael Frendo, of the Maltese Parliament, who wants an ex ante control of subsidiarity to be an integral part of the European architecture. The development of European construction would be "imaginable" without active contributions by national parliaments, suggested Joszef Szajer, of the Hungarian Parliament, whereas Ali Tekin, of the Turkish Parliament, is among those who believe in a strengthening of COSAC. Baroness Scotland of Asthal, representative of the Blair Government, announced a paper by the British Government to the Convention, and British Conservative David Heathcoat-Amory spoke in favour of an EP/national parliaments "inter-parliamentary pillar", whereas Gunter Pleuger, for the German Government, considered that, in the longer term, they would have to consider the possibility of a bicameral system in the EU. Polish parliamentarian Jozef Olesky focused on more concrete involvement of national parliaments in the European process, and the Austrian parliamentarian Caspar Einem proposed that the conference of presidents of national parliaments be institutionalised (it should, according to him, open a permanent office in Brussels). In addition, he considered that, twice a year, the EU Council should inform national parliaments, whereas he said he was rather sceptical of the idea of the WEU Assembly of removing the EU Council's legislative role (see EUROPE of 5 June, p.5). Under the Danish Presidency, we shall organise a meeting with the members of the agriculture committees of national parliaments, announced Henrik Dam Kristensen, of the Danish Parliament. Pervenche Beres MEP also made several concrete proposals, indicating in particular that: - EP/national parliament co-operation also concerns the first pillar (broad economic policy guidelines, Stability Pact); - national parliaments must be able to participate in the control of subsidiarity, notably by challenging their governments, through the Council, as well as at the level of "control over the use of European funds". In addition, she proposed the convening, every five years, of a congress composed equally of the EP and national parliaments which, after the European elections, and on a proposal from the European Council, would elect the President of the Union, in other words, the President of the Commission".
European Commissioner Michel Barnier, for his part, stressed that national parliaments, "guardians of national sovereignty", must be involved in exercising "European sovereignty", and, in particular, suggested that: - national parliaments be associated in the work of the Council in its legislative role; - European Commissioners should further explain European developments to national parliaments, "the spirit of the directives; - in "exceptional circumstances", like an amendment to the Treaty, a congress should be able to be convened composed of European and national parliamentarians; - national parliaments play a role in controlling subsidiarity.