This past week will go down in the history of Europe as the week when the need to clarify the nature and significance of European integration was acknowledged. Wise souls had long been declaring the existence of this need, but for the most part, the debate had been skimmed over, giving the priority to actual achievements. Events proved that having obtained a great many results, this method had exhausted its virtues, and the fundamental debate has started in earnest. Next week, I will try to present an overview of this new situation, without watering it down. But for today, my intentions are more modest: to demonstrate that, despite the failure over the "financial perspectives", Europe has not stopped. The "pause for reflection" over the major stakes and the future does not take away from the need for the EU to function. It has kept its decision-making capacity and it is taking action, in the interest of its citizens. But who, apart from readers of Agence Europe, and a few others, has actually noticed? Here is a (very incomplete) overview of recent developments which, it seems to me, are not negligible.
1. Area of liberty, security and justice. The demand for security is at the top of the list of the concerns of the citizens; this is well-known. The European Council is not institutionally authorised to take decisions, but its approval of a text has a clear political significance, particularly when this is accompanied by encouragements which are effectively orders. The action plan to translate "The Hague Programme" into concrete action received this approval last week, and the Member States were invited to implement it effectively and the Institutions of the Union were called upon to step up cooperation between Europol, Eurojust and the new external borders agency, and to improve the coordination of the activities of these bodies with those of the competent authorities of the Member States. These measures are essential to make the area of liberty, security and justice effective, especially as the European Council added to it a list of priority actions in the fight against terrorism, particularly in the field of funding (including a code of conduct to prevent the abuse of charity organisations: see the texts in our special bulletin of 19 June).
2. Sustainable development. The European Council approved a "declaration", which lays down key objectives and defines the "guiding principles" of the EU's policy in this field, including boosting the involvement of the citizens in taking decisions and confirming the "principle of precaution" (which has often been challenged at world level). It is strange that the non-government organisations, usually so ready make a fuss and protest, greeted this spectacular step forward with silence (or just about).
3. Food safety. The European Food Safety Authority inaugurated its official headquarters in Parma this week, and announced its intentions and its programme. As our envoy on the ground said (bulletin 8975), this ceremony is a "symbol of a Europe which is close to its citizens". Never again will Europe experience any food-related disasters in the BSE mould.
4. Agreement on the Rural Development Fund. As even Tony Blair would have to admit, if he read the text the Agriculture Council agreed on this week, a significant part of the so-called "agricultural" expenditure of the EU is far above his sarcasm. For example, this Fund will pay for the creation of non-agricultural activities, reforestation, the protection of nature and of animal well-being in rural areas (80% of the territory of the Union). This sends out a message to the political authorities and proves to farmers that the EU sees them as more than people who waste European money.
4. Reform of the sugar sector. The Commission has made its proposal, which proves that the reform of the CAP is continuing. It is true that the reactions to this draft were not always favourable, but that's inevitable when contradictory interests come into conflict. Apart from the Oxfam farce (which, having fought the good fight to force Europe to lower its prices and open its borders up to world competition, now seems to be indignant because the new planned price... is too low for the ACP countries), all the other positions will have to be looked at carefully. I'll say no more than that for the time being, because I intend to come back in detail on this dossier, which is a symbol of the reality of the interests at play around European agriculture and of the game of pressure and influence.
I could go on with my list, referring in particular to energy: if they are followed, the indications included by the Commission in its Green Paper of this week could allow Europe to bring its energy consumption down by 20%, create a million jobs and save 60 billion EUR on oil purchases. Take courage, Europe exists and it is doing its job.
(F.R.)