Brussels, 09/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The EU heads of state and government reached a consensus on Thursday evening on the general guidelines for a large part of the Berlin Declaration that the presidents of the three Community institutions - Council, Commission and Parliament - are to adopt on 25 March on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. Views still differ, however, over a number of aspects of the most important part of the text - that which will be dealing with the Union's forthcoming and future challenges, mainly of an institutional nature. The EU27 are, on the other hand, on the same wavelength in saying that the declaration should remind citizens of “European values” and of the “successes” of European integration over the past 50 years. The German EU presidency considers, in any case, that it has received a European Council “mandate” to draw up a draft text. “Our hands are now free to write the declaration”, Chancellor Angela Merkel told the press on Thursday evening. “There is a total consensus between us all in saying that the Berlin Declaration should be a declaration to the citizens and should be understood by everyone”, she stressed. The language used “will not be that used in European Council conclusions”, but a simple, understandable language that should reach the people and remind them of the Union's “successes” and “challenges”, said Ms Merkel. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker was of the same opinion, saying the declaration must be “short, readable and able to go directly to the heart of citizens”.
Successes cited will include single currency (this point was not even brought into question by the British), the different waves of enlargement which have each time brought “enrichment” for European integration, especially the 2004 enlargement towards Central and Eastern Europe that sealed the “victory of democracy over the communist dictatorships”, Ms Merkel stressed. Poland and the other new member states were unwavering on this point.
Regarding the part of the text to be devoted to the future of the Union, there is consensus between the leaders that mention should be made of subjects such as energy, climate change, Europe's competitiveness in the face of globalisation, the Community method and the European social model, but “there are also controversial elements”, Ms Merkel admitted. Such elements include the Union's future enlargement policy and its relation to EU institutional reform. “Member states have different views on the relationship between integration and future enlargements”, Ms Merkel explained. Several countries, and France in particular, do not want continued enlargement to be mentioned as an objective without it being directly subject to prior and in-depth EU reform. Other countries, on the other hand, and especially the United Kingdom, are pushing for the Union to be freer in stating its willingness to keep the door open for other accessions. Jean-Claude Juncker said it is “very likely” that future enlargements will be mentioned “but everything will depend on the wording”. He went on to point out that, “if one states, without any doubt, that enlargement will continue in the future then, in that case, it will also be necessary to cite the Constitutional Treaty” and the necessary reforms that it would bring. “Enlargement and consolidation go together being two sides of the same coin”, said Juncker.
Although Ms Merkel did not mention this when speaking to the press, it now seems an acquired fact that the term “Constitution” will not appear in the Berlin Declaration. “It will not be possible, in Berlin, to do the work on the Constitution that is to be done during the European Council in June”, Mr Juncker stressed. (hb)