Brussels, 10/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 10 May the European Commission adopted two communications on the future of Europe, which it will submit to the European Council on 15-16 June: one is called “A Citizens Agenda: Obtaining Positive Results for Europe” in which it reiterates its ambition for a “Europe of Results” that meets the expectations and demands of citizens in a concrete way; the other is called, “Reflection Period and Plan D”, in which it draws the first conclusions from experiences gained since the launch of the reflection period in June 2005 and presentation of the “Plan D” (Democracy, Dialogue and Debate) in October 2005.
The Commission's starting point is based on the observation that there “is at this moment no consensus” on the European Constitution in Member States or on what measures to take for getting out of the crisis. “More time” is therefore needed before envisaging any resolution of the institutional question, explained Commission President José Manuel Barroso to the press. Although the Commission “remains attached to the values, principles and contents of the Constitution”, it does not want the Constitutional impasse to paralyse or prevent political action by the EU. Consequently, the Commission is proposing a “twin-track approach”: adopt and rapidly implement the “positive agenda” that provides citizens with a “Europe of results” by using possibilities offered by the existing treaties, while gradually continuing in parallel, with the debate on the European Constitution in view of resolving the EU's institutional problem, if possible by 2009. Jose Manuel Barroso and his Commission believes that it is only by concrete action and re-establishing trust with citizens that will enable the EU to create an environment conducive to the adoption of the European Constitution. The President insisted that, “to strengthen the trust of citizens in Europe, we will have to produce results. This is how we will create the conditions for adopting an institutional regulation”.
A) “Europe of Results”. The new Citizens Agenda for Europe, which the Commission puts forward, contains a dozen concrete proposals covering the main areas, which are as follows: 1) Internal Market. The Commission will launch a fundamental revision of how the market workers for identifying where the single market is not entirely complete (to the detriment of its citizens). A report (“The Single Market in the 21st Century) containing concrete proposals will be presented to the European Council and European Parliament in 2007. Addressing the press, Mr Barroso cited several examples of possible action: getting rid of the final barriers to freedom of movement of workers; conclude better integration of energy and insurance markets; reducing costs of roaming and for cross-border financial and banking services. The Commission will assess the social realities of European society and launch an agenda for access and solidarity. This agenda will be based on measures identified during the informal European Council at Hampton Court in October 2005) which intends to add a social dimension to internal market changes planned in 2007 (see below). In practice, the Commission also wants to improve access for Europeans to information on rights they enjoy as EU citizens. To this end Mr Barroso is not ruling out the possibility of providing each EU citizen with an “entitlement card” reminding citizens of their rights in the single market; 3) Freedom, security and justice. As we predicted (EUROPE 9187), the Commission will propose to Member States that legal and police cooperation, as well as legal immigration be transferred from the Third Pillar (inter-governmental cooperation) to the First Pillar in the Treaties (Community Policy). Mr Barroso underlined that the proposal will be based on Article 42 of the Treaty of Nice and aims to “exploit the potential provided in the current treaties, to a maximum”, in the absence of a European Constitution. He also highlighted the fact that “citizens want more Europe in fighting terrorism and organised crime”. He affirmed that he was aware that some Member States were reticent about putting these polices into the Community remit but said that he was convinced they would change their minds. He alluded to the European mandate for obtaining evidence (currently blocked at the Council where unanimity is required as part of the Third Pillar), as an example proving that the EU needed more efficient decision-making rules in this crucial domain.
"The question is how long these reluctant States will need to change their mind. Need we wait for a further terrorist attack in Europe before we take action ?", he asked; (4) Enlargement. The successive waves of enlargement of the EU (and the 2004 wave in particular) are the "greatest success stories" of the EU, but we must nevertheless take account of the fears of a great many citizens "not about the principle of enlargement itself, but with regard to its scale and speed", said Mr Barroso. Over the next few months, the Commission will step up the debate on the added value of enlargement (in order to convince the citizens) and on the exact definition of the EU's absorption capacity (one of the criteria laid down in Copenhagen). It will then present a new report on the future enlargement strategy of the EU prior to the European Council of December 2006; (5) The European Union in the world. The Commission, which is convinced of the European citizens' heartfelt support for a more effective and visible role for the EU in external policy, is to present a "concept paper" to the Council, with concrete ideas on the possibility of reinforcing the instruments and the role of the EU's external policy on the basis of the existing treaties. Amongst other things, the Commission will look into the possibility of improving the coherence and coordination of the Commission's external actions with those of the other European institutions and of the Member States; (6) Subsidiarity, "Better Regulation", transparency. On subsidiarity, as we previously announced (EUROPE 9188), the Commission will now send all legislative proposals and information notes directly to the Parliaments of the Member States, at the same time as these are submitted to the European Parliament. This means that the national parliaments will be able to react to these proposals at the very beginning of the decision-making process. "This is a question of transparency, not 'cherry picking' from or anticipating the European Constitution", which provides for this very provision in order to step up the national parliaments' controls subsidiarity, Mr Barroso told the press. "We listen to the NGOs, why not listen to the national parliaments?", he asked. The fight against excessive red tape will also be continued via the "Better Regulation" initiative and the simplification of Community legislation, Mr Barroso announced. New proposals on the "Better Regulation" initiative will be presented in the autumn, he announced. As for transparency, the Commission plans to speed up work on access to documents.
B) The Constitution and the institutional issue. The constitutional and institutional debate should continue alongside the concrete actions and policies of the EU, "step-by-step", in the hope that a solution can be found in 2008 or 2009 (the Commission has no position on any possible deadline, said Mr Barroso). In concrete, the Commission suggests that the European Council of June 2006 adopt a sort of calendar (" choreography", in the words of the Austrian Presidency) with several major meetings. The first meeting will be for the formal adoption, in Spring 2007, of a "Political Declaration" to mark the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the signature of the Treaty of Rome. In this declaration, the Heads of State and Government of the Member States, together with the Presidents of the Commission and the European Parliament, will undertake a "commitment" in favour of the principles, values and objectives of European construction and the "European project of a shared life". "I wanted to challenge the European leaders and ask them: are you or are you not committed to the European project of a shared life?", asked Mr Barroso. The leaders must "fight" for the European project, particularly at home and before their citizens, instead of making Europe the scapegoat for all evils, as is still too often the case, said the President of the Commission. The political declaration, "which does not aim to replace the Constitution", will also be used as a basis for a decision to be taken by the European Council of June 2007 on the continuation and end of the institutional/constitutional process. The other main meeting proposed by the Commission is a revision of the financial perspectives of the EU, planned for 2008-2009, for which it will make reform proposals for all Community policies, including the CAP and the own resources in the EU.
The vice-president of the Commission, Margot Wallström, presented a satisfactory interim table of results of the "Plan D" to the press. This plan, she pointed out, will continue beyond the period of reflection. Several conclusions can already be drawn from our experience since October 2005, she said, for example: there is apparently a certain "appetite" for debate, but the citizens have very little knowledge of how Europe works, "a Europe which they do not reject, but from which they expect added value". "What we need, in short, is fewer words, and more action", Ms Wallström summed up.
Mixed reactions from Timothy Kirkhope and UNICE to the Commission's communication
“The EU continues to delude itself that the EU Constitution and more integration is the answer to Europe's problems. The reality is that it is initiatives like the Constitution that have done so much to damage the organisation's credibility,” says MEP Timothy Kirkhope, commenting on the Commission's communication. He says, “We don't need any more time to reflect on a Constitution that died in the polling booths in France and the Netherlands last year. It is time to give the Constitution a decent burial and move on to a real reform programme”. Mr Kirkhope takes the opportunity to criticise Tony Blair, whom he accuses of failing “to move the EU in a new direction when the UK held the EU presidency last year”.
The reaction from UNICE, the bosses union, was also mixed. It is important that the European Union launch the debate, but the concrete decisions that the European Summit in June will have to take are even more important, and, if the process aims to delay efficient decisions, the Commission should “be aware that this will create even more resistance vis-à-vis Europe,” says a press release. UNICE President Ernest-Antoine Seillière warns, “I fear that there is no sense of urgency in the communication. The growth and jobs strategy must still be the Commission's main target and we all know that it is not being implemented properly. I hope that the Austrian Presidency will take a strong initiative at the June European Council meeting to accelerate the process and to propose adequate solutions. If the European Union is able to function properly, it will regain the support it deserves”.