Strasbourg, 18/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - Three EU national parliaments, of Germany, Austria and Finland, have intervened in the debate on the Duff-Voggenhuber Report on the period of reflection on the future of Europe (see other article). The President of the Bundestag in Germany, Norbert Lammert, the President of the Nationalrat in Austria, Andreas Khol, and the President of the Eduskunta in Finland, Paavo Lipponen, have sent an open letter to Josep Borrell, President of the European Parliament, saying they greatly appreciate that the European Parliament is seeking cooperation with national parliaments but do not like the idea of 'Parliamentary Forums' between the EP and national parliaments to 'stimulate the debate and to shape, step by step, the necessary political conclusions' as the Duff-Voggenhuber Report puts it. The three countries explain 'we are not in a position to commit national parliaments to such a series of conferences or parliamentary for a. Due to the fact that 13 countries have already ratified the constitutional treaty and 12 countries have not, the national parliaments have very different approaches towards the debate on the future of Europe and there is neither a need nor a mechanism to find a joint strategy of national parliaments on how to engage in a lasting debate… and… national parliaments… would not like to be seen just as an appendix to the European Parliament in such a process.' But the three go on to explain: 'Concerning Article 16, where ea first parliamentary forum should be convened in the spring of 2006, we agree that such a conference of members of the European Parliament and members of national parliaments be held on 8/9 May 2006 as previously discussed. This shall be a single interparliamentary conference, aiming at an exchange of views on the status quo and the perspectives of the debate on the future of Europe. But we do not see any institutional or legal basis for drawing 'comprehensive conclusions to the European Council'. Therefore we cannot commit national parliaments to enter in such a decision-making process. As concerns further interparliamentary conferences, this shall be decided after the Spring conference and after the European Summit in June, possibly in the frame (sic) of the Conference of Presidents of Parliaments to be held in Copenhagen from 29 June to 1 July 2006.' They go on: 'we should like to reassure you that we fully respect the complete autonomy of the European Parliament in adopting a report on the period of reflection, however, we wanted to let you know our opinion on the issues concerning national parliaments.'
Nigel Farage, Eurosceptic Co-President of the European Parliament's Impendence and Democracy group, is delighted with the letter, commenting: 'It is marvellous to see these national parliaments asserting their independence and sovereignty in this matter.' His only sadness, he said, was 'that Westminster hasn't bothered to do the same.'