Strasbourg, 18/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - As we indicated (EUROPE yesterday p 7), a significant number of Convention Members, including MEPs, Alain Lamassoure, Hanja Maij-Weggen, Anne van Lancker and Carlos Carnero Gonzalez and 53 other members of the European Convention, have expressed worries about the tight timetable for the Convention's work and have highlighted the need to speed things up. They have therefore written to the Presidium, requesting it to present a complete draft for the two parties' future Constitutional treaty before February 2003.
The Presidium is expected to examine these issues on Thursday, before the last plenary of the year on Friday. The Presidium intends to present its proposals to the plenary on the different parts of the treaty in three sections: Union objectives; citizenship; fundamental rights and competencies
- January/February; V, VII and IX: instruments, finance, Union and close environment
- February; IV, VI, VIII, X: institutions; the Union's democratic life; external action; belonging to the Union
- March/April, proposals on Final Provisions (Part III) will only be presented in April.
At the same time, Convention Members, Inigo Mendez de Vigo, Klaus Hänsch (both MEPs), Gisela Stewart, John Bruton and Alojz Peterle, have written to President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, stressing the need to speed up the wok and set out a clear road map in order to submit the papers sufficiently early on the different parts of the future Constitutional treaty. Compromises on the papers were difficult to obtain in the plenaries, with the signatories of the letter suggesting a method inspired by that followed by the convention for the adoption of the Charter of Fundamental rights: the establishing of work groups to examine the different parts of the preliminary part of the treaty; the organisation of a "shuttle" between the different components of the Convention and the Presidium.
During their Tuesday meeting in Strasbourg, Convention Members of the European Parliament posed questions about the decisive role that they should play in the months to come. Alain Lamassoure declared that the IGC had already begun at the Convention and referred to the increasing level of government participation at the Convention over the moths. According to John Cushnahan the governmental component co-operates more strictly than the others and deduced a certain tendency to keep to the EP out of certain subjects, such as CFSP. Some MEPs, such as Elmar Brok, Hannes Voggenhuber and Andrew Duff recognised the need for greater co-ordination between Convention Members of the Parliament, who also thought he European Commission should be supported. Klaus Hänsch, however considered that MEPs within the work groups had succeeded on several points (even if the Parliament could have a sharper policy). Other MEPs criticised the way in which Valéry Giscard d'Estaing presented the results of the Convention to the European council of Copenhagen. Hanja Maij-Weggen and Carlos Carnero Gonzalez criticised Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's reaction to the "Penelope" document of the European Commission (according to whom, a sneering attitude to another institution is unjustified). Mr Canero Gonzalez was hoping for a meeting between the Convention and civil society. The Presidium would at this stage be quite reluctant, whereas it would support a new youth session.
European Parliament representatives at the European Convention will have a meeting with President Cox on 14 January 2004.
Next plenary session, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's spokesperson indicates to the press that the Convention would begin work on Friday morning at 10H with a debate on the reports of Jean-Luc Dehaene on external policy and Michel Barnier's report on defence. After the Presidium meeting on Thursday evening, the President of the Convention, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing is expected to present a work programme on the first quarter of 2003. The Convention should be holding a " general debate" on 20-21 January on institutional issues. Mr Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's spokesman also indicated that a "descriptive but non-proscriptive" text could also be in preparation. The spokesman also pointed out that on 6-7 February, the Social Europe work groups is expected to present its report. The objective is to have a text on all the chapters of the future Constitutional treaty by the end of March. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing could also be going to Lisbon, Dublin, Athens and possibly Prague and Warsaw.