Milan, 26/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with the Corriere della Sera, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, spoke on several topical European themes.
Turkey. “I regret to say that things are going badly. The moment is critical. Reform in Turkey is very slow and I cannot see the progress hoped for. We trust that the Finnish Presidency will manage to avoid a traumatising stop in negotiations. But, to be quite frank, I am worried”.
Constitution. “When the time comes, the Commission will suggest a formula to bring together the different ideas going about. The constitutional treaty is necessary to face up to the major global challenges (climate, energy, terrorism, immigration and emerging countries), but it is also significant from a psychological point of view: the halt has thrown a shadow of scepticism over the European project and we must get rid of that shadow”.
The veil. “I am against a law that says you can wear that but not the other. But one must listen to common sense also. For example, in our society, it is not reasonable for a school mistress to give a class to pupils with her face entirely covered. In general, if one wants to communicate, one cannot cover up the whole of one's face leaving just a slit for the eyes. But that is a matter that concerns the individual States”.
The Commission and Member States. The accusation that the Commission is being pulled along by the larger countries is “a caricature. We are working in a spirit of cooperation with the Member States while remaining true to our role as Guardians of the Treaty. It may not be known but, at the moment, we have 1,800 proceedings in progress for infringement of European rules (…). Concerning the Suez-Gaz de France merger, if we note any danger for competition and the free moment of capital, we shall block the operation. But the French government may take measures to eliminate these effects. This would not mean we have changed our minds but that the project has been modified”. (fr)