Rome, 31/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Congress of the European People's Party (CPP), which took place in Rome on 30 and 31 March, adopted its "Rome Manifesto" on Friday afternoon, in which it pleads in favour of "clear priorities" for the European Union (it proposes four of these), for a more transparent and less bureaucratic EU, for the continuation of the process to ratify the Constitutional Treaty and in favour of an "especially close partnership" to be offered- as an alternative to accession- to such neighbour countries of the EU as cannot, or do not wish to, become full members. Four priorities for the EU proposed by the EPP are: 1) creating a more innovative Europe to boost growth and job creation. In particular, the internal market must be completed, particularly in the financial sector and the services sector, reads the document, which also called on the Council and Commission to accept the position of the European Parliament on the services directive as a basis for the final decision. The EPP also placed great emphasis on the need to simplify administrative and regulatory burdens on small and medium-sized enterprises; 2) protecting the citizens of Europe from the threat of terrorism and extremism. The EPP pleads in favour of optimal controls on the external borders of the EU and reinforced cooperation in the field of police and justice; 3) reinforcing Europe's role on the international scene. The EU must reinforce its CFSP and ESDP, "so as to complement NATO's work", and to increase the "human rights" dimensions within its external relations. The must also develop an action plan put into practice its security strategy, reinforce the authority of international law and multilateralism and to do more in the fight against poverty and famine in the world; 4) sustainable development and environmental protection.
The EPP's Rome Manifesto also calls for a "Europe which is more transparent and capable of action". In particular, the EPP feels that certain provisions of the Nice Treaty are insufficient to ensure the correct functioning of the enlarged EU. Until the forms provided for by the draft European Constitution have entered into force, "the political problems, and institutional weaknesses, will persist and grow even worse". As a consequence, the EPP (against the opinion of its Dutch members, it appears) is proposing that the process to ratify the Constitutional Treaty should continue after the reflection phase. It also suggests that the European Council lend "new impetus" to this process, no later than the first half of 2007.
On the enlargement of the EU, the Rome Manifesto also stresses the fact that the accession of ten new Member States in 2004 "brought substantial benefits to all Member States, old and new". For the viability of the European project, it is absolutely essential to find a balance between the enlargement of the EU and its consolidation, reads the Manifesto. "As a result, the European Union must be reformed, by no later than the next wave of enlargement, but after the accession of Romania and Bulgaria". Any future enlargement should also take account of the Union's capacity to absorb new members. Furthermore, the EU should offer those of its European neighbours (the Manifesto does not specify which) which cannot, or do not wish to, become full members, the option of an "especially close partnership", including "multilateral solutions", it is stipulated. Via this especially close partnership, a "common economic area" could be created (an idea which takes its inspiration from the report by MEP Elmar Brok on the future enlargement strategy for the EU), but this area should be more ambitious than the current European Economic Area (EEA), to include close political consultation, particularly in the fields of justice and home affairs (border control, annual cooperation, protection of human rights, etc), and for security and foreign policy (particularly the fight against terrorism) and respect for the external borders of the Union. The EU should also encourage these States (which the EPP Memorandum does not explicitly refer to, but which would be part of this common area) to step up their regional cooperation among themselves.
The EPP also takes the view that in order to shore up the support of the citizens for the process of European integration, it is vital to explain to the people what the "common European identity" consists of. The debate on the borders is at the very heart of this common European identity, the Rome Manifesto argues.
Celebrations for the EPP's 30th anniversary: contributions from Wilfried Martens, Wolfgang Schüssel, Jean-Claude Juncker, Angela Merkel, Silvio Berlusconi, Nicolas Sarkozy
During the two-day Congress, the leaders and members of the EPP also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the EPP. Since its creation in 1976, the European People's Party has always pursued the objective of continuing the work of the founding fathers Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, Alcide de Gasperi and Konrad Adenauer, as Wilfried Martens pointed out on Thursday afternoon. A few hours earlier, Mr Martens was confirmed as leader of the EPP (see EUROPE 9164). "No other political force has had more effect on European integration than the EPP", he said, referring to the actions of figures such as Léo Tindemans (who was the first president of the EPP in 1976), Piet Bukman (Mr Tindemans's successor), Jacques Santer (the third president of the EPP) and, above all, an "historical figure", Helmut Kohl, "who not only reunited Germany, but was also a key actor in the reunification of Europe". Today, the EPP must continue this integrationist policy started by its founding fathers, to create not a "European super State", but a "decentralised European Federation" based on a "social market economy". Today, with the EU in a "serious crisis", the EPP has an important role to play to "transform this crisis into new impetus". We must find new and mobilising projects, based around the priorities defined by the EPP in its Rome Memorandum, explained Mr Martens. On the subject of the European Constitution, Mr Martens was quite clear: "we cannot waste the results of the Convention. We must save them".
The heads of government and all parties affiliated to the EPP then took it in turns to speak, all of them warmly in favour of what has been achieved, but also making suggestions that the future. "Who can move Europe forward, if not the EPP?", asked the Austrian Chancellor and President of the European Council, Wolfgang Schüssel. "The Left is divided, the other political groupings are too weak", said Mr Schüssel, who believes that "this makes the EPP the party on which Europe's destiny will depend". The party must remain true to the principles which must lie behind its political action, Mr Schüssel insisted. And so, for example, "the EU must not be governed by money. Europe is more than just the euro". Furthermore, "Europe cannot enlarge itself endlessly", but all commitments taken must be respected, particularly in terms of the European perspective of the Balkans. "Europe needs a hardcore", the Austrian Chancellor added, and it must defend its values, "because a Europe without values has no value". Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, delivered a plea "against the discouragement" of the political forces in the face of Europe's current problems. "Europe may be in crisis, this is true, it is tired, but let us not lose courage", he said. "If we cannot even manage to be proud of what Europe has become over the last 50 years, how do you expect the citizens to be?". Mr Juncker also warned against the temptation to "overstep the mark, to want to do too much" at European level. "We do not want to create the United States of Europe, because the citizens do not understand this notion and they want to keep national references", said Mr Juncker, who also stressed the importance of subsidiarity. The French minister for the interior, Nicolas Sarkozy, called for the EPP to become a "genuine political party", to discuss "the real issues" behind the current crisis of the EU. This would mean, he explained, defining the "privileged partnership" the EPP is talking about for certain candidate countries, such as Turkey (whereas the Rome Manifesto talks of an "especially close partnership": see above). At an institutional level, Mr Sarkozy reiterated his suggestion of just keeping a "joint main body" of the text of the European Constitution, to give the Member States time to explain their position to the citizens. He also pleaded in favour of a joint immigration policy and the implementation of joint border policing in the EU: "nothing is more urgent", he said. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, stressed the need to maintain a balance and are "coherence" between the enlargement and consolidation of the EU.
In a speech distributed at the Congress, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stated that, in particular, in order to beat poverty and terrorism, the links between the EU and the United States must "remain strong and based on solidarity", because if Europe moves away or, "even worse", takes up position against the United States, "this would compromise the safety and prosperity of the whole world". "The West must remain one: they cannot be two Wests. Europe needs America and America needs Europe", argued Mr Berlusconi, adding: "we are in favour of a Europe which has its own defence and security policy, and which is able to take its own responsibilities, in partnership with the United States. We are in favour of a dynamic and competitive Europe, which is able to renew its social structures, focusing on research, knowledge and technological innovation". Mr Berlusconi also stated his view that all those who took opposition against a reference to the "Christian roots of our continent" in the European Constitution have not damaged " Christianity and our fathers, but (...), rather, our children, whom we do not wish to see grow up without values, without history, without identity".
Encouragement for the Italians and Hungarians during their election campaigns
In Rome, a major topic of discussion was the elections which are due to take place in the next weeks and months in several of the Member States. Firstly, unsurprisingly, the Parliamentary elections due to take place in Italy on 9 and 10 April were referred to by almost all who took the floor, with messages of support-with varying degrees of warmth, depending on the speaker- for Silvio Berlusconi. Wilfried Martens addressed "our Italian friends", to wish them "a victory in the elections, but also the political goodwill to unite in a political party similar to the one (the EPP) we have at European level". "One day, in this country, this (centre) political family must be created. This is our hope, Mr Berlusconi", said the president of the EPP. Wolfgang Schüssel stated that "Italy and Europe are too close to my heart to allow their fate to depend on the support of communists. We need a strong centre". German Chancellor Angela Merkel limited herself simply to wishing Mr Berlusconi "good luck".
The EPP has also invested a lot of its hopes in Victor Orban, the former Hungarian Prime Minister of Fidesz who, according to the opinion polls, could come out in victory at the forthcoming general elections, to be held in Hungary on 9 and 23 April (two-round election). "We hope very much that he will be the next Prime Minister of Hungary", said Mr Martens. In his speech, Mr Orban particularly stressed the need for Europe to reaffirm and protect its spiritual values and is traditions, "including the Christian heritage", without which, Europe would not be what it is, he said.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the more than likely UMP candidate in the presidential elections in France in May 2007, was also welcomed by the Congress of the EPP as a "future leader". Wilfried Martens voiced his hopes that, "having won the 2007 elections", Mr Sarkozy would be one of the "leaders who defend the joint European interests and projects which Europe so badly needs".