Strasbourg, 04/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - During the European Parliament debate on the future of the enlarged Europe, on 4 May, Council President Dick Roche gave his assurance that "privately" he would like to conclude negotiations on the European Constitution before the European elections. It is more realistic, however, to set the European Council as a target date (to take place one week later on 17 and 18 June). Mr Roche's comments did nto reassure everyone when the Presidency's new suggestions were heard (see other article).
The Irish Minister for European Affairs has again made the oft repeated warning: Do not touch what is essential; do not bring in new issues that have not been identified earlier at the IGC; the draft on the table is a "wonderful document". He said he asked those who criticise it to take care to read it to see how good it was. The former Convention member said they had never been this close to an agreement. He recalled that the foreign ministers will be holding an indepth discussion on the Constitution on 17 and 18 May, to seek to reach an agreement on as many issues as possible and, if necessary, they will meet again on 24 May, and possibly again afterwards. Without wishing to go into details, Mr Roche mainly noted that, as far as the calculation of double majority in Council is concerned, it might be necessary to make "some adjustments" to state and population thresholds (Commissioner Vitorino warned that such adjustments must not cause confusion and lose the system of double majority. ("Added value, efficiency and transparency .. Please, don't throw out the baby with the bath water"). Qualified majority vote will be enlarged but one must also take into account Member State concerns, Mr Roche said (the co-president of the Greens/EFA was highly critical saying one wants to extend unanimity mainly for justice and home affairs). Regarding the composition of the European Commission, Mr Roche said he supported one Commissioner per Member State for an "extended period" with the possibility of a restricted Commission later but on the basis of strictly egalitarian rotation.
"The ideal thing would be to have the Constitution before the European elections", European Commissioner Antonio Vitorino admitted, also hoping that "the general balance" of the Convention text would be kept, with just a few "very specific improvements".
Particularly for obtaining more voting at qualified majority, but also for making methods for revising the treaties more flexible, especially the third part on policies. Mr Vitorino also had much to say on citizens accepting the constitution: several countries will choose to ratify by referendum and it is crucial that these mass consultations are preceded by a public debate, Vitorino affirmed, adding that he did not want a "juxtaposition of 25 national debates but a genuine European debate".
During the debate, the president of the EPP-ED group Hans-Gert Pöttering again appealed for a reference to the "Judeo-Christian heritage"' in the European constitution (Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann PDS, Germany exclaimed that God should not figure in the constitution). Pöttering also warned that the European Parliament would not agree to having its budgetary powers reduced. Enrique Baron, president of the Socialist group, insisted that MEPs had contributed considerably to the drafting of the draft constitution and had to continue to be informed even if they were involved in election campaigns (Baron also insisted that he hoped that in the future, the Council and Commission mandates could coincide). This appeal was reiterated with vigour by British Liberal Andrew Duff, a very active "Convention member": Mr Duff had requested President Cox to arrange a special session of the Conference of Presidents from the political groups if the Intergovernmental Conference were in crisis, even if MEPs had dispersed into their respective election campaigns. He averred that the European Parliament's role should not fade in the last phase of negotiations. He also drew attention to the risks of withdrawal in the most recent ideas put forward by the Irish Presidency and asserted that they had to resist the attempts to reduce the codecision powers and assent at the European Parliament. He asked why the Irish presidency was suddenly seeking to remove codecision away from structural funds. Greens/EFA copresident Monica Frassoni said that faced with superficial optimism regarding the "tranquillising mess" that they were attempting to get them to swallow, she was very worried, including: the draft on which European officials had been working which included more unanimity in justice and home affairs, strengthening of the interpretative clause sought by the British for the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the reduction of the EP's powers in structural funds. If this continued Frassoni said that they would be obliged to pay for Tony Blair's referendum. The president of the GUE/NGL Francis Wurtz preferred to highlight the economic and social situation in Europe, which was so distant from the promises of Lisbon. He quoted a Commission report that noted that one out of every six children aged less than fifteen in Europe did not have any basic skills: reading, writing or being able to add up. He said that the did not expect a miracle from the next European Council but concluded quite bitterly that he wanted a referendum on the constitution preceded by a real debate.
Klaus Hänsch the German Social Democrat said without beating about the bush that the failure of the constitution would be "beginning of the end of Europe", which would become the "play thing" of the other main powers. He said that if they could not find an agreement now, they would be part of history, first of all from a political point of view but also from an economic point of view. Spanish Socialist Carlos Carnero Gonzalez highlighted the link with policy and economics, explaining that Europe could contribute to the democratisation of globalisation. Several MEPs from the new Member States appealed for a rapid adoption of the constitution: Slovenes, Alojz Peterle (former Convention Member and who also asked for enlargement to the south east) and Franc Horvat, Cypriot Panayiotis Demetriou (former Convention member) and Jason Azzopardi, Malta, who vigorously defended Christian values in the constitution. In the same line, Antonio Tajani (Forza Italia) again requested a reference to Judeo-Christian roots in the Union to be included in the preliminary text of the constitution. He suggested that they take the text of the Polish constitution text with its explicit reference to God.
Aleksaner Marek Szcyglo, Polish member of the UEN group said that they should not be afraid of a reference to God in the constitution, adding, "we need another constitution, which is not centralised" (member of the Polish EPP-ED group, Zbigniew Chrzanowski also called for a reference to Europe's Christian roots. The tone of Genowefa Grabowski also from Poland, was completely different, saying that they needed a clear constitution and that the Convention had worked hard for this (even if it had preferred to highlight the social Europe and the disabled). Jozsef Szajer (EPP-EDD, Hungary) exclaimed that his country would have signed the Treaty of Rome if had not been for Russian tanks. He underlined the importance of minority rights being protected in the constitution. Hungarian Socialist Pal Vastag also wanted a more social Europe but Rudolf Ziak from Slovakia (UEN) insisted on respect for the sovereignty of countries.
Thierry Cornillet (UDF) underlined the proposal by the "13 June Club" which requested that government reach agreement not only on the Constitution text but also on the time of its ratification but choosing a "day or group of days" (as they did for the European elections), following a common transnational debate. Cornillet proposed a date between 5-8 May 2005 which could be celebrated by all Europeans and possibly become a Union holiday (Constitution Day). Cornillet said that every country had to ratify according to its tradition and legal amenities and that in France it would obviously be a referendum.