Brussels, 12/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - It was in front of an auditorium made up of MEPs, national parliamentarians, former presidents of the European Parliament, presidents of the European Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors and the European Ombudsman, that Hans-Gert Pöttering opened the solemn session on Wednesday 12 March in Strasbourg, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the institution he presides. Mr Pöttering, the acting president of the European Council, Janez Jansa and the president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, who spoke after him, all focused on the issue of strengthening the EP's powers over the last half century. They also made substantial reference in their speeches to Europe's founding fathers, particularly Robert Schuman, who inaugurated the constitutive meeting of the European Parliamentary Assembly, the forebear of the current EP, on 19 March 1958. The three speakers underscored the loyalty of European leaders to the spirit of the founding fathers and highlighted the impact the Lisbon treaty would have, once ratified, on the evolution of European integration by strengthening not just the role of the parliament but also that of the Council and Commission. This additional strength should enable the EU to meet the challenges of the 21st century with more efficiency and weight, challenges that include globalisation and climate change.
Hans-Gert Pöttering that the European Parliament had fought “step by step” to expand the field of its competencies and that awareness about its responsibility and possibilities open to it had not ceased to increase to the point that today, “it does credit to its name”. The president of the European Parliament pointed out that the institution now had 785 members from the 27 states, as well as seven political groups representing 150 national political parties. He declared that they were exercising control on the European Commission and electing its president, “We are the representatives of close to 500 million Union citizens: we reflect all political tendencies in the European Union; we have become self-assured and a major player in European politics”. In a reference to the Lisbon treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Mr Pöttering said that these texts, “will further strengthen our rights. In future, decisions on important issues now of concern to citizens in the European Union can be taken only if the European Parliament gives its consent”. He highlighted the existing institutional balance between the EP, Council and Commission and affirmed that cooperation between the EP and national parliaments was of primary importance and that this had to be maintained in the future. Pöttering admitted that “a critical opinion” was required and said that the EU was complicated. He also called on the media to take this complexity into account, indicating that, “the Union should not be a scapegoat for national failings”.
Janez Jansa referred to the road mapped out since 1958 and the cold war where, “the six founding countries and NATO successfully achieved democracy in a large part of Europe”. The acting president of the European Council asserted that, “In 2008 it's different…We live in a multipolar world where the watchword is not competition but rather, cooperation. The Berlin Wall has fallen, we have common currency, there are 23 official languages, Europeans live longer and those who previously lived under totalitarian regimes now live in democracy”. He welcomed the extension of the EP's powers and the conclusion of the Lisbon treaty, which constitutes, “a step forward for the parliament from the point of view of democratic control”. Jansa said that strong European institutions would enable the EU to face challenges such as climate change and financial crises. He called on the, “European Parliament to continue to show an exemplary example” insofar as there are still Europeans who have doubts about European integration.
José Manuel Barroso said that Europe should now be a, “Europe of power, but without any arrogance”, which meant, “maintaining a constructive partnership between the European institutions”. The president of the European Commission welcomed the role of the EP in European construction and mentioned the extension of its remit over time. He also insisted that the political influence it now had was, “both as a co-legislator and substantial partner in the institutional triangle. Mr Barroso explained that, “the power that the Parliament had won over time had helped strengthen Europe as a whole. A strong European parliament is an indispensable partner for the other institutions”. He concluded with the following words, “the Lisbon treaty, when it is ratified, will further strengthen the Community institutions. It will expand Parliament's powers. It will reinforce the dual democratic legitimacy of the Commission through increased ties with the European Parliament and European Council…By enhancing the legitimacy and efficiency of the institutional triangle, this treaty is a great advance for Europe”. (O.L.)