Strasbourg, 19/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday the Commission president said that noting would constitute a better symbol of the EU's potential, its ambition and determination than reaching an agreement. He launched an appeal to heads of state and government and told them “not to miss the boat”. José Manuel Barroso informed the press that a solution for an exact and clear mandate at the end of the summit is “possible” but “negotiations will be hard”. He called on member states to allow Europe to take action in the 21st century. He said that this was a question of credibility and the time to be constructive. He warned against coming with red lines and vetoes and explained that it was not in the interest of any member state to adopt a position that was perceived as uncompromising. He was even more direct when he added that, “new member states have every interest in showing that their participation in the EU does not make the life of the EU more difficult but that they instead provide a new impetus”.
He stressed the fact that if they did not get an agreement they would run the risk of making progress for a political and open Europe. He called for simplification and not complication. This is why the Commission does not want to reopen the debate on institutional questions, such as vote distribution. Similarly, “we cannot accept a treaty that endangers certain of the most important elements in our community acquis”. He said that they needed to distinguish between what is essential and what is not and that they should not maintain artificial divisions such as the three pillars or a Europe à la carte. He insisted that an opt out or opt in should not become the rule but recognised that there was a different legal tradition in the United Kingdom and Ireland and that they could understand such an option. On the other hand, questioning the position of a foreign affairs minister accompanied by keeping a stable Council presidency would create a serious problem in terms of institutional balance. He also stated that if they wanted to keep a balance between the institutions they should not be changing some of them while leaving others alone. (ab)