Brussels, 28/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - After having mentioned the different stages of the calendar, which the Italian Presidency is expected to use for submitting an overall proposal at the conclave on 27-28 November in Naples, the Italian Minister of Affairs, Franco Frattini summed up, on Monday evening during a press conference, the Intergovernmental Conference (see EUROPE 28 October p 5).
Mr Frattini believes that there was an agreement on the principles of equal access and equal footing on rotation criteria for all Member States, as well as on geographical balance in the constitution of Presidential teams for the different Council groupings, with the exception of that on external relations, which will be chaired by the Foreign Affairs Minister. These principles alone are expected to be included in the Constitution, which the European Council, using qualified majority, will organise a system of presidential teams. In the context of qualified majority voting, Mr Frattini said that the Convention draft was a "good compromise" between the different demands. The Presidency will, however, try to continue looking if it is not possible to advance in one or other of the aspects, such as taxation. In connection with revision of the Constitution, Mr Frattini repeated his conviction of the need for simplified procedure "without double unanimity of governments and parliaments" for the third part of the future treaty (EUROPE 23 October p 7).
Mr Frattini looked at the demands of the Ecofin Council, underlining that they should not be taken as a package. He said that a clear distinction between the proposals that could bring improvements (ECB, Eurogroup, notably) and those that question the overall institutional balance was needed.
Referring to the different points raised by one or several governments, Mr Frattini underlined a strong demand for greater consideration of the specific issues of the island and mountainous regions, as well as "increasing but unanimous support" to a reference to Christian roots. He noted that Belgium had said that it found this unacceptable. Numerous delegations were opposed to the creation of a European Prosecutor. Italy and Austria intervened to support Hungary's demand on protecting national minorities, indicated the Minister.
Messrs Hänsch and Mendez there to fight Ecofin initiative
The main item on Monday according to the German Social Democrat, Klaus Hänsch (who represents the Parliament at the IGC) was the initiative of the Economy and Finance, which he said not only aimed to "weaken the European Parliament" but "drag it backwards with regard to its current powers". Mr Hänsch said that he was prepared to fight against this initiative. The other EP representative, Spanish Christian Democrat, Inigo Mendez de Vigo declared that "Parliament had to have the last word in the annual budgetary procedure, he hammered home. He also thought that there was "no critical mass for going backwards" on qualified majority voting. He noted that many countries supported the transition to qualified majority voting on proposals regarding CFSP, which were formulated by Foreign Affairs Ministers with the help of the Commission. Asked about Christian roots, Mr Hänsch recognised that this was receiving increasing support insofar as they are mentioned as a "historic fact" and "a heritage of the past".
German Social Democrat Christa Randzio-Plath, president of the EP monetary committee, Austrian Christian Democrat Othmar Karas and Green Austrian Johannes Voggenhuber sharply denounced the attempt by Finance Ministers to claw back the Parliament's budgetary powers.