Brussels, 09/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 11 October the president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso will be in Berlin to discuss the German presidency of the European Union's priorities during the first half of 2007 (for this reason, the weekly meeting with the Commission will take place on Thursday 12 October instead of the Wednesday: Editor's note).
Meanwhile, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel announced the main lines of the future German presidency's priorities in a video (pod cast) on its site http://www.bundeskanzlerin.de . Ms Merkel affirmed that, “We know that the German presidency will take place at a time when many citizens are asking questions sceptical about the European Union. Isn't there too much bureaucracy? Can Europe ensure that we are protected? Should Europe's borders be clearly identified? As the German presidency we will try and provide answers to these questions”. She then listed the five following priorities: reiteration of European values. “The Berlin Declaration”, which will be adopted on 25 March 2007 during the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, will be a good occasion for doing this, explained Merkel; Europe's borders. “Europe has to say where its borders are” explained the Chancellor who also underlined that until the “new order”, the EU will not be able to expand beyond Bulgaria and Romania. She also pointed out that the end of accession negotiations with Turkey remains “open”; improving the economic of dynamic of Europe which has to “scale down the bureaucracy” and promote innovation; - Europe has to use its whole weight to help rearrange the international economic order by imposing fairer rules for world trade and fight together for the protection of intellectual property; establish a Road Map for the adoption of a European Constitution. Ms Merkel insisted that “I am of the opinion that we need a Constitutional treaty”. (hb)