Strasbourg, 15/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on Monday evening, the European Parliament's constitutional affairs committee adopted, by 17 votes to 1 with 2 abstentions, the report by Alexander Stubb (EPP-ED, Finland) on the EU's ability to accept new Member States, and considered that the EU had to improve its integration capacity before any further enlargement (see EUROPE 9302 on the report recently adopted by the European Commission). The Stubb report, says a press release, recognises that the EU is having difficulties in honouring its commitments towards South-East European countries, yet should, with each new enlargement, be in a position to function properly and democratically, to fund its activities appropriately and to reach its political objectives. The Treaty of Nice “does not provide an adequate basis for further enlargements”, in the opinion of the constitutional committee. At the same time, MEPs highlighted that, hitherto, EU enlargement has “tended to strengthen the Union, foster its economic growth, reinforce its role -in the world and stimulate the development of new EU policies”, and they stressed that the notion of “integration capacity” must not be considered as a new accession criterion for candidate countries. It was meant rather to ensure that the EU improved its ability to accept new countries and deepen its integration process. To be successful in this, the Stubb report says there will have to be: - the adoption of a new qualified majority voting system at the Council to simplify decision making; - a clear definition of the EU's values, objectives and competences; - greater transparency in Council operations; - increased powers of scrutiny for national parliaments; - and the adoption of a clause setting out how Member States could leave the EU. In addition, the report calls for reinforcement of the European Neighbourhood Policy to provide a framework for relations with those countries that have no prospect of accession.
The report, which will be put to the vote on at December's plenary session, also says that ratification of the Constitutional Treaty would enhance the Union's integration capacity. (mg)