Brussels, 15/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - Romano Prodi told the press on Wednesday that his main expectation from the Brussels Summit was for agreement to be reached on "various key actions to boost the European economy". My main interest is for the European leaders to support the initiative for growth which I launched earlier this year, he reiterated, warning: "one thing is for sure: we have not done enough (...) Of course, I do not expect the European Council to solve every problem, but it could pave the way (...) We must understand that promises do not build roads, and that in order to attain a level of excellence in knowledge and technology, we need investment". The Commission's proposal is a genuine "road map" including "mechanisms to achieve and institutional solutions", and if it is brought in properly, it "will boost growth immediately", he said. The new list of priority projects for trans-European networks is really a list of "European" priorities, said the President of the Commission, who added: "we have removed all purely national and selfish criteria". We must decide now which projects to start with "immediately", and "I will raise this point tomorrow", said Mr Prodi, who pointed out that the December Summit will be the "last chance" to decide which projects to "get up and running the soonest". I want a real road map, with "definite phases" he exclaimed, stressing the need to ensure funding for the projects (we are working with the EIB, whose possibilities are not limitless, but "not negligible", he said).
As for research and technology, Mr Prodi also spoke of "concrete decisions on precise subjects". "I will discuss this tomorrow with a view to a conclusion at the European Council in December", he anticipated, adding: "here again, we need a road map"; furthermore, "we must prepare for research related to the security sector" and make convincing progress towards the objective of 3% of GDP for research, development and innovation.
As for the IGC, Mr Prodi supports the Italian Presidency, which hopes to be able to conclude in December, and says: "the most important thing is for Europe not to get bogged down in a power struggle on institutional issues: these are not issues which capture public opinion, and we must start to look to the coming referendums". The Commission's objectives are well known, said Mr Prodi, citing: "a fully political Commission, able to act and in which each Commissioner is on an absolutely equal footing". Most Member States want a college with one Commissioner per country (as does the Commission), he commented. In answer to a question, he noted: "if a small country sends an excellent and strong Commissioner, he or she will get a meaty portfolio". He told another journalist that he took the Convention "seriously": "this is why we have proposed only limited changes" to its draft, he explained, adding: "it is not reasonable for there to have been no proposed changes at all" to the Convention text. As for the voting system in the Council, Mr Prodi pointed out that the Commission had always supported, even before others took up the cause, a "simple double-majority system" based on States and population; but "at the end of the day" it can accept the Convention's proposal (60% of the population). Mr Prodi feels that this is an "essential element for the balance of power; other systems may create an institution in which Member States have but scant representation". When asked about the suggestion Spain may forward to raise from 60% to 66% the percentage for the majority of the population, Mr Prodi replied: I preferred "50 + 1 and 50 + 1, I prefer a majority which will allow us to decide more easily; clearly, a majority of 60% is better than a majority of 66%, but as they say down my way (near Reggio Emilia: Ed), it is better to suck a bone than a stick". On vote weighting, will we end up having "a second Nice night" on 13 December next? Switching from Italian to French, Mr Prodi said "there are still plenty of nights to go before December (...) the time for mediation may not be here yet, I hope that it will not come down to the last minute".
Lastly, Mr Prodi said that he expected the Summit to produce the green light for the creation of an Agency to improve border controls, to fight illegal immigration, on which the Commission will make a detail proposal in early November. He also reiterated that in the next phase, the EU will concentrate on legal immigration, and "this is not a luxury, as immigration makes a decisive contribution to economic growth in Europe".
When asked about Germany's decision to be represented by France at the Summit on Friday morning (see p.4), Mr Prodi said: "this is extremely positive, I hope we will see this again, it is another step away from narrow nationalism". And, although the fact that it is France and Germany may "raise a few questions", it is clear that all other Member States could do the same without "anybody having any objections".