Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-06-15-Speech-4-017"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000615.2.4-017"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for this opportunity. This is the third time I have appeared before you in the six months of our Presidency and once again this allows the Council to have a direct dialogue with this House. The Portuguese Presidency has always tried to maintain a frank, open and constructive relationship with the European Parliament, both with the plenary and its committees. It is in this spirit that I will present our preview of the Feira European Council.
With regard to enlargement, this presidency launched the negotiations with the Helsinki Group. As we reported yesterday at ministerial level, several chapters have already been concluded, even with this Helsinki Group which is the most recent group. We have also made decisive progress with the previous group, the Luxembourg Group, as all the chapters, with the obvious exception of the ‘Institutions’ chapter, were already open with this group.
I will firstly refer to the timetable as it is fixed at the moment. On the morning of the 19th there will be the usual meeting with the President of the European Parliament. This will be followed by a session with the Chair of the Convention, Roman Herzog, who is responsible for drawing up the draft Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. This will not be a deliberative meeting as the Charter is still being drawn up according to the chosen methodology. Instead this will be an exchange of information. This seems necessary at this point so that Mr Herzog can inform the Heads of State and Government about the progress of the Convention’s work in drawing up the Charter and also so that he can ensure that the various Heads of State and Government are up to speed on this issue. Clearly this cannot and will not be a deliberative meeting, but simply an exchange of information.
Immediately after there will be a working session involving the finance ministers. This will address the issues of the follow-up to the Lisbon Special European Council and economic and financial affairs. Lunch will be devoted to the Intergovernmental Conference and, in particular, closer cooperation. The Council will have to indicate whether or not the latter issue is to be added to the agenda of the IGC. The afternoon session will be devoted to the issues of enlargement of the Union, the common European security and defence policy and external relations. I would point out that the Presidency invited the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, to join us at this point so that we can also consider the issue of Africa-Europe relations and regional political issues. We are delighted that President Mbeki has accepted our invitation, particularly given the importance of South Africa in regional terms and for the European Union and its Member States.
The next day, the 20th, will be devoted as usual to reviewing the draft presidency conclusions. The Council will provide an opportunity to assess the progress achieved during the term of the presidency in areas which we regard as particularly important. In doing this, we will try to show the ways in which European integration can continue to be developed, thus enabling to the greatest extent possible the resolution of the many issues which await us in the coming months on the European agenda.
As there is not enough time now to describe in depth the items to be considered at Feira, I will instead identify some of the issues which we regard as a priority and which deserve our attention.
The Intergovernmental Conference will come to the European Council through the presentation of a report by the Presidency. This report is ready now. It was formally delivered yesterday to the President of the European Parliament and will today be made available on the Internet in all languages for general consultation. As you know, this Parliament has followed the work of the Intergovernmental Conference with great interest and cooperation. I must point out that the participation of this House represents a step forward in qualitative terms with regard to all previous intergovernmental conferences on the reform of the institutions and treaties.
The Presidency’s report basically consists of two parts. The first assesses the progress made by the IGC to date and describes the trends emerging from the discussions. The second part contains a series of proposals, lists and tables illustrating the options which the IGC will have in the next six months. Using the mandate conferred on us during the Helsinki European Council and after sounding out the Member States, we will be recommending that the issue of closer cooperation is included on the agenda of the IGC. I am convinced that based on the work carried out, we will be in a position, with the leadership of the French Presidency, to conclude the IGC before the end of this year as planned.
As for the development of the common European security and defence policy, again based on the report which we will present to the European Council, I believe that significant progress has been made. I would highlight the formation and entry into force of the new political and military bodies and civilian crisis management bodies for the first time in the history of the European Union and also the approval of the rules governing relations between the EU and NATO and between the EU and third countries. The decision taken on the location of all these bodies, in terms of buildings and installations, should also be stressed. We have tried to take advantage of our simultaneous presidencies of the European Union and the WEU which has resulted in a clarification of the WEU’s role and the use of its capacities and
by the European Union.
We are now entering a vital phase of this project and we must therefore prepare for the Capability Commitment Conference which will take place in November of this year. Its aim is to create and commit assets and capabilities which will allow us, as planned, to achieve the headline goal. Yesterday, in the General Affairs Council, these documents were voted on and approved."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples