Strasbourg, 22/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - Commitments made early on in the Italian Presidency on the involvement of the European Parliament in the IGC's work have been 100% delivered: it was on this positive note that President Pat Cox opened the debate in Strasbourg on Wednesday on the Intergovernmental Conference's work on the European Convention at Head of State and Government level, and on the European Council in Brussels on 16 and 17 October. However, many MEPs criticised the Italian Presidency for wasting the IGC's time, by postponing to November the presentation of initial proposed compromises (see also p.7 for Mr Frattini's speech to the constitutional committee). The growth initiative endorsed by the Summit was received with hope by some, with scepticism by others. Several MEPs spoke out for an immigration policy which takes greater account of reality, especially of the refugee situation.
Silvio Berlusconi told the Plenary that he felt the IGC's meeting of 16 October had shown broad convergence on the majority of the Convention's proposals, with a couple of exceptions "related to the specific reservations of various States". The draft must be judged "overall", especially as regards strengthening the institutions whilst maintaining a balance between them. The Italian Presidency will not accept a "compromise on the cheap" under any circumstances, and intends to present an overall proposal for mid-November, for the home strait. Mr Berlusconi believes that the 16 October also showed that the Member States are becoming increasingly aware that foreign and security policy will be more effective if placed "in a framework of full compatibility" with the Atlantic context. The Commission fully supports the Presidency's European growth initiative, which received the approbation of the Brussels Summit, noted the President of the European Council, who confirmed his intention of calling an extraordinary social Summit on the eve of the Summit of 12 and 13 December (see EUROPE of 4 October, p.14). We will need to tackle various aspects of social protection, under the "open co-ordination" method, "taking collective note" of the problems to be resolved, whilst respecting the freedom of intervention of each Member State, said the Italian Prime Minister. On asylum and immigration, Mr Berlusconi stressed the importance of both the fight against illegal immigration and the integration of legal immigrants- but also, in every case, of the need to provide "a welcome which is worthy of our level of civilisation" to those forced towards Europe by misery and the desire to work, he added, referring solemnly to the recent disembarkations of illegal immigrants in Lampedusa, in which more people lost their lives.
Europe needs a simple and solid growth initiative, allowing capital to be made available quickly, reiterated Romano Prodi, specifying the principles to inspire the list of "quick start" projects. The Council should give a specific mandate to the Commission, and in the meanwhile, its favourable attitude is a very positive element, said Mr Prodi, who warned: in December, the Council will have to go from words to deeds. As for immigration, this is a tough problem to manage and we cannot "allow this to weigh down on the Member States' shoulders", we must not forget that it is useful for jobs which Europeans do not want to do, said the President of the European Commission, taking up once more a theme which is close to his heart. Mr Prodi also asked for a definition of migratory fluxes and a "single and global negotiation" with the countries of origin: we must work with them to find mechanisms to discourage illegal immigration, but we must guarantee that at least a minimum of emigrants can come to the EU legally.
On the IGC, Romano Prodi expects a "clear" proposal from the Italian Presidency by mid November, and stated that there will be "very few points to change" in what the European Commission will propose. On the voting system in Council, although he would have preferred the Commission's formula (double majority of Member States and population, 50%/50%), Mr Prodi repeated that the Convention's formula (60% of the population) seems acceptable, because it allows decisions to be made, which is not the case if the population threshold is raised to 66% (see also Europe of 16 October, p.5). Amid much applause, Romano Prodi said that any system which changed the institutional equilibrium and allowed small minorities to "freeze" initiatives was to be "strongly opposed". As for the proposal to keep one Commissioner per State, this aims not at reopening the entire package, but at making sure that all have the same voting rights. Another vital point for Mr Prodi concerns the amendments to the future Constitution: they will never get through if they have to be unanimously adopted by 25 Member States; and if it cannot be amended, the Constitution will not work, and it will "crumble at the first hurdle". Let us use all the strength of the large countries and aim to support the small ones: this is the appeal by the President of the European Commission.
Pleas in favour of a future Legislative Council and new approach to
immigration policy, quality European networks
During the debate, the Chairman of the EPP/ED group Hans-Gert Pöttering voiced his hopes of a conclusion to the IGC under the Italian Presidency. The majority of our group favours the double majority in Council proposed by the Convention, although "some or others" or its component parts disagree (clear reference to the Spaniards of Partido Popular). As for progress made by the Summit on defence, the CDU MEP called upon "our American friends" to understand that the development of European defence was not directed against them. He also pleaded strongly in favour of an immigration policy which is not limited to "the protection of our borders": given the many human tragedies like the one in Lampedusa, Sicily, we must not lose sight of the "human" aspect of the problem, he said. On the same subject, the chairman of the Socialist group, Enrique Baron, acknowledged that the Italian Minister of the Interior, Mr Pisanu, is doing "positive" work following the path of the former Minister of the Interior Giorgio Napolitano (now an MEP), the first to have implemented a policy of agreements with the countries of origin. On the IGC, the Spanish socialist railed at the "mistaken decision to abolish the Legislative Council", which must be revoked. He also warned governments against using "seat in the European Parliament as a trump card" in negotiations on the institutional package. The Presidency would have done better to present compromise proposals to the IGC now, "November could be too late", said the Chairman of the Liberal group, Graham Watson, adding: this will be your last throw of the dice, I wish you luck. The British Liberal Democrat, who welcomed Tony Blair's "U-turn" on defence, criticised the fact that the European Council did not mention either Chechnya or the prisoners at Guantanamo (see p.7).
Francis Wurtz, chairman of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left group, expressed his regret that governments had, at the IGC, apparently failed to draw any profit from Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's "friendly advice" of 3 September: "never forget the citizen". He feels that the contents of Mr Prodi's letter to Mr Berlusconi before the Brussels Summit "is unlikely to excite the European fervour" of the citizens, as it contains the Commission President's insistence on reforms (pensions, labour markets, public services), against which people are "standing up, from Rome to Paris, via Berlin". Your approach to immigration policy, "largely military and security", leads to stalemate and "will jar with young people", warned Mr Wurtz. He also asked the Italian Presidency and the Commission to be present for the signing in Geneva on 4 November, the anniversary of the assassination of Rabin, of the peace plan which the Palestinians and Israelis have been working on for two years (a delegation was in Strasbourg on Wednesday, where it was to be received by President Cox). Six months of Presidency is not much for those who "tend to waste time", said Monica Frassoni, co-President of the Greens/FTA group on the subject of the IGC, saying: enough with the questionnaires, the time has come to find "a few answers". Ms Frassoni also insisted that the Legislative Council be reinstated ("it is a question of democracy"), and harshly criticised "the great long list" of projects for trans-European networks which are not accompanied by quality criteria, and which, in her view, is only of interest to those who "lament the fact that this tunnel or that corridor is not on it, or those who are desperate to get them started". Mobility cannot be encouraged via "great works", when kilometres of remote railways are being closed in the candidate countries, said the Italian elected in Belgium. She announced that she, together with NGOs, would take up the battle for the future European legislation on chemical products, condemning the decision to transfer the examination of this issue to the Competitiveness Council. In 1998, when the initiative was taken, it was done to protect health and the environment, she pointed out, criticising the "Commission's extreme weakness" in the face of the lobbies.
Charles Pasqua, for the Union for a Europe of Nations, marked himself out from most of his colleagues: "what irked those who spoke before me, I find reassuring", admitted the French Sovereignist, on the subject of the IGC. He criticised the "Federalist majority" of the Parliament for both its "great naivety" and its "arrogance", in imagining that the Member States "have no right to propose amendments" to the draft Constitution. The Chairman of the Europe of Democracies and Diversities group, the Dane Jens-Peter Bonde, voiced his hopes that a referendum on the Constitution will be held in all Member States. He called for one Commissioner per country, and for the six-monthly Presidencies to be kept, reiterating his fears that a few "big" countries will dominate the Council's work. As for Marco Pannella, speaking on behalf of the independent MEPs, launched a diatribe against "the disunited States of Europe", a Europe which "makes eyes at the United States whilst ignoring Russia, China and Vietnam".
Worries to the fore among most Italian MEPs
Georgio Napolitano, Chairman of the constitutional committee, said during the debate that "in this parliament, there is not prejudice against the Italian Presidency". It only has to be up to Italy's traditional European policy. the progress of the IGC is alarming, he said, noting in particular, the trend to question the most innovating proposals such s the Legislative Council. "With what motivation? We don't know. And yet, governments agreed to it at the Convention". He insisted that "we cannot and should not consider the chapter as closed" (see p 7). Governments would also like to do the dame on other points, he indicated and called on the Italian Presidency to only agree to discuss the amendments (if they are sustainable" and understandable. He said that they should not forget that 28 national parliaments took part in the draft of the text from the Convention, pointed out the former president of the Italian Parliament. he expressed the fear of Altiero Spinelli who, while presenting his draft Union treaty at the plenary in February 1984 had conjured up the image" of the "old man of the sea" by Ernest Hemingway, the picture of "big fish that we thought we'd fished and which was in danger of becoming a single fishbone as the sharks have eaten all the flesh".
Other Italian MEPs mentioned the IGC, Francesco Rutelli (Liberal group), who asked for a "flexible "constitutions as did President Prodi, Armando Cussutta (GUE), who attacked the "inertia" of the presidency four months after the summit of Thessaloniki and Christina Muscardini (UEN). The latter also requested that the presidency speed up the work on the right to asylum, which the Council is not moving along and posed the problem of refugees. She pointed out that Somalian refugees arriving on the Sicilian coasts after navigating the Indian Ocean since the 1991 crisis ad called for an initiative for this forgotten country. Maro Borghezio speaking on immigration (Northern League) pointed out that he had proposed to Pat Cox the sending of a "European mission" to Lamedusa. Antonio Di Pietro (Liberal group) criticised Mr Berlusconi for mapping our a "fairytale Europe" when in fact he had surrendered to the American and Russian diktats and a "weekend at Camp David or a picnic in Sardinia with Putin". The Italian Presidency has no sense of reality, declared Fausto Bertinotti (GUE) to Silvio Berlusconi: you speak of reforms that should save social cohesion when on 24 October we're having a general strike in which the organisations participating had signed the pact with Italy".
Speaking for Forza Italia, Francesco Fiori insisted on speeding up structural reform, and Antonio Tajani also stressed the need for the same (governments as different as the French and German governments have taken this road, he noted). As far as the IGC is concerned, he firmly believes that the Italian Presidency has a great chance of being successful, and he would like to see a reference to Europe's Jewish-Christian heritage being mentioned in the future Constitution.
IGC: Mendez de Vigo points out 150 pages of amendments
Inigo Mendez de Vigo (EPP, Spain) confirmed how "frustrated" he was at the outcome of the IGC. The governments presented 150 pages of amendments and none of these proposals were ambitious, he deplored. French sovereignist William Abitbol, who noted that the European summits are "so elevated that they are light years from reality", heckled Mr Berlusconi saying: "You have renewed Italy by inventing the Forza Italia (…), now invent the European referendum". Arie Oostlander (EPP, NL) also wants a European referendum on the Constitution, as does British Conservative Jonathan Evans, who says that 80% of the British would like one, although Tony Blair has ruled it out (the Tories have launched a campaign calling for a referendum). Markus Ferber (CSU) is in favour of a reference to Christianity being made in the Constitution, whereas Finnish Liberal Astrid Thors urges more for active Christianity, allowing those who need it most to be helped. The IGC is making progress too slowly for British Liberal Andrew Duff, who calls for greater attention to be paid to the chapters on Community policies (that often require modernisation or updating). French sovereignist Georges Berthu asks, for his part: "Why do we need a Constitution? Is this almost the final stage in building a European super State?"
Growth initiative: Goebbels proposes reactivating Delors Plan
Luxembourg Socialist Robert Goebbels reproached the EU for neglecting "future spending" and suggested that the Delors Plan should be reactivated. He said: "Why not finance TENs with a European loan?", and noted that "the EU is being built with a budget of one meagre point of joint GDP" while the US federal budget redistributes 30% of GDP and even the Swiss, who have the reputation of being thrifty, redistribute 15% of their GDP through the federal budget. Christa Randzio-Plath (SPD) calls, for her part, for measures to reconcile family and working life (no growth without women), as is the case in Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
Immigration: a problem that is inevitably European
Martin Schulz (SPD) had an obviously much calmer discussion with Mr Berlusconi than in July this year. He felt the Prime Minister's emotion about the Lampedus event was "authentic" and said: "Italy is also protecting the borders of my country, so we have a duty to show solidarity with Italy", immigration being a European problem.. Mr Schulz also asked Mr Berlusconi whether he intends to speed up the decision on the European Prosecutor's Office and on the European arrest warrant, citing an interview with Umberto Bossi who, in "il Giornale" on Monday, states that, if the European arrest warrant is adopted, "it will be madness, and I shall be the first victim (…) It is a step toward dictatorship, toward a regime of terror (…) and it is a crime in itself".
Silvio Berlusconi notes progress on defence and Romano Prodi stresses the significance
of a European referendum on the Constitution
After the debate, Silvio Berlusconi stressed how difficult it was to deal with all issues during a six-month Presidency and, all the more difficult during one going from July to end December. In his view, this confirms it would be of interest to have a longer term Presidency lasting two and a half years, with a president who would have the authority, time and age for carrying out his task successfully ("I am too old, Mr Schulz", he said addressing the German MEP). The president of the European Council said that, if he has not said more about the IGC, it is because, at this stage, everyone must be given the chance to have his say, before making a summary and presenting a comprehensive proposal on a constitutional draft that would strengthen the security and wellbeing of Europeans. But not just theirs: it is also necessary to facilitate access by other countries to key goods such as water, food, health, education and above all to the most important thing of all - freedom.
Romano Prodi replied in plenary on: - the referendum(s) on the Constitution. A European referendum would have infinitely greater significance than national referendums. "We are at the limits of utopia", the Commission president said, but there are moments when things can change; - the Middle East. Mr Wurtz is right to recall the Palestinian/Israeli plan in Geneva. This is the first time that an initiative comes from the peoples concerned, by representatives of great intellectual and moral strength (Mr Prodi recalled the role that Mr Burg played in his capacity as President of the Knesset). It is up to Europe to support this initiative with the "délicatesse" required; - the role of European Commissioners. In the current Commission, there is, fortunately, no Commissioner who considers that his/her role is to defence national interests; - immigration. The EU must find a solution in a "soft security" policy through dialogue with the countries concerned, achieving a "circle of friends". If we do not live among friendly countries, warns Romano Prodi, then countries of origin will send immigrants in uncontrollable numbers in a hostile manner and using them as instruments; - the risk of disindustrialisation in Europe. France, Germany and the United Kingdom expressed their concern about this. We must reflect on this, Mr Prodi acknowledged, noting, however, that there is a great contradiction. The countries expect there to be a joint industrial policy, but when it comes to taking decisions, national interests and national fears prevail; - the chemical industry governed under protection of health and the environment. The Commission president admitted that it has sometimes been necessary to make compromises - even though it costs a great deal - but that they are very much to the fore in the world on these issues.
Mr Berlusconi: Italy will vote on the arrest warrant next week
Some questions left unanswered in plenary were brought up again by the press. Thus, Mr Berlusconi answered questions on: - Mr Bossi's declarations on immigration policy cited by Martin Schulz (see above). After the fireworks, Umberto Bossi "always finds common sense solutions", as can be seen in the Bossi/Fini law, and the fact that, in Italy, regularisation is under way for the 650,000 immigrants; - acceleration of the establishment of a European prosecutors' office and the entry into force of the European arrest warrant in January 2004. On the first point, we shall do what the constitutional treaty says, he said. As for the arrest warrant, however, the parliament must vote on the text next week.