Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-06-15-Speech-4-035"
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"en.20000615.2.4-035"2
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"Mr President, dismayed as I am about the continuing prejudgement of Austria by 14 Member States, I would like to stress that the Santa Maria da Feira Summit will be vital for the further development of the European Union. For one thing, it will determine whether the Portuguese Presidency will go down in history as the presidency which upheld the wrongful decision on the part of those 14 Member States against Austria, or, instead, as the presidency which found a way out of this unfortunate period of disregard for European solidarity and lack of respect for the democratic processes within Member States.
Through the measures they have taken, the Heads of State and Government of the Fourteen have really burdened themselves with an enormous responsibility in relation both to Austria and to the Union as a whole. Over a year ago, it looked as if the disastrously low turnout in the European elections would at least have the helpful effect of initiating a fundamental debate about the structure of the European Union.
Since then, things have largely returned to the normal routine. If anything, European awareness has receded even further into the distance because of the arbitrary action taken by the Fourteen against Austria. Feira should therefore give us an opportunity to bring the EU closer to the public, either by giving the Charter of Fundamental Rights legal force, or, which would be even more meaningful, by then stating its intention to include a list of competences in the treaties. Instead, perhaps as a token gesture, and as a result of the difficulty of solving the core problems, it appears that the topic of “enhanced cooperation” is being given a higher profile. This is despite the feeling already prevailing in the last parliamentary term, and still prevalent in this Chamber now, that this could lead to a two-speed or even multi-speed Europe, so that “enhanced cooperation” will sound the death-knell of the classic European Union. In many respects, the Union is facing a parting of the ways, and the Feira Summit has a vital role to play here. The programme we have heard today does not give us cause for any great hope."@en1
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