Brussels, 13/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - The references made increasingly openly by French and German personalities to the possibility of a "Franco-German union" within the European Union (amply covered by the press on Thursday) causes a positive reaction from Karl Lamers, former German Christian Democrat deputy and the author, with Wolfgang Schaüble, of the very contested document of 1994 on a "hard core" in Europe. In an interview with Le Monde on Thursday, the former CDU member considers that "Franco-German cooperation has its own reason for being, and at the same time (…) gains its legitimacy to the service of the unity of the continent (…) France and Germany must defend their ideas with their partners. In external policy, they must take initiatives if possible with all the others, or otherwise with those who want to, but also on their own where necessary". In answer to questions on the "democratic legitimacy of such a pair", Mr Lamers replies: "The French National Assembly and the Bundestag could form a common parliamentary commission (…) entasked with accompanying the decision-making process of the executive bodies".
According to AFP, European Commissioner Günter Verheugen said in Paris on Wednesday during a press conference that a union between France and Germany must "represent a further step towards European integration". "I am one of the protagonists" of this process, he added, recalling that he had, last January, urged in favour of this union with the French European Commissioner, Pascal Lamy. According to Mr Verheugen, from the legal point of view this "union" would not really be a federation with common institutions but a confederation of States.