Lyons, 22/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - In Lyons on 21 September, at the European Ideas Network (EIN) summer university, the think tank of the EPP-ED group in the European Parliament, José Manuel Barroso set out his optimistic vision for Europe in 2020. The European Commission President highlighted the reasons for confidence in Europe and argued once again for a Europe of results, which alone was able, he repeated, of enthusing citizens for the European project. “We will not be able to motivate young people through a failure, we will be able to motivate them through a message of hope,” he said. With, in his opinion, “reasons to be confident” which could defeat “pessimism”, he presented his vision of Europe in 2020: a “competitive” Europe which “creates jobs”, has “better universities”, which “shows solidarity for the well-being of society”, “at the forefront of technology”, which “has mastered globalisation” and “has not turned in on itself”. “Europe is the best example of economic and political integration, the first non-imperial empire, a free association of Member States, with no centre imposing its diktats,” he said. Referring to economic growth forecasts for the EU (+2.6% in 23006) and the reduction in unemployment to around 8%, he said there was “no reason to slump into depression”. He spoke of two fundamental problems facing Europe: a “structural” challenge (globalisation) and a “constitutional” challenge (the French and Dutch “No” votes
+to the Constitutional Treaty). What should be the response to these challenges? He wondered. In response, he said, “We could do more by taking advantage of the internal market”, which is not yet complete for “services” or “workers”. He recalled the on-going reflection in the Commission on the revision of the single market, mentioning sectors like “financial services, insurance, postal services, copyright”, and he emphasised “better regulation” serving small and medium-sized enterprises. In the field of energy, he felt it was “not sensible to have twenty five energy markets and twenty five voices speaking to the main suppliers”. Similarly, he said, “in a system where there is free movement of persons, it is absurd to have immigration policies”. He recalled the Commission proposal “not to stick with the system of unanimity when decisions are to be taken on combating organised crime, terrorism and illegal immigration”.
On enlargement, he said, “We are not too big”. With the accessions of Romania and Bulgaria, the EU would complete the last large enlargement begun in 2004, he added a few days before the presentation of the Commission reports, expected on 26 September. The accession of Bulgaria and Romania would mean a change to the make-up of the Commission, he pointed out, just as “it is obvious that prior to every new enlargement, there will have to be institutional reform”. Why do we need a Constitutional Treaty? He asked. For three key reasons, he opined: “the effectiveness of decision-making”, “accountability” and “external coherence” (with the creation of a post of foreign minister, who would, at the same time, be Commission Vice-President). It was a “serious mistake” to think that people would vote for something that didn't work, said Mr Barroso, arguing that the only way to rally citizens to the European project was to “show that Europe can respond to their expectations”. That was why we proposed a “twin track approach” to get out of the institutional impasse, “concrete achievements and the medium-term solution of the Constitutional issue”, he concluded.