Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-06-15-Speech-4-052"
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"en.20000615.2.4-052"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this was an important debate which has acted as a real stimulus for the Feira European Council. I congratulate the quality of the interventions of which the Presidency will take due note as it should. This European Council, as has been said, will have a very full agenda with the Intergovernmental Conference, the approval to include closer cooperation and other items. We must be aware that the whole Conference is set out according to the decisions taken in Amsterdam. This is not the definitive Intergovernmental Conference on the big reform of Europe. It is a Conference which has a specific mandate of technical refinement, particularly in terms of the decision-making systems, in order to allow enlargement. We also cannot allow third countries to believe that an excessive extension of the Conference is deliberately intended to guarantee an excessive delay in enlargement.
The enlargement of the EU will be broadly consolidated at the European Council. This meeting will include a fairly positive progress report, a fundamental step forward for the Common European Security and Defence Policy, the application of the Information Technologies Programme for Europe, the adoption of the Action Plan for the Northern Dimension and the approval of the Common Strategy on the Mediterranean following the first two Association Councils with Palestine and Israel. It will also cover the definition of the external action programme in the area of justice and internal affairs, the White Paper on food safety, the European Charter for Small Enterprises, some important resolutions on economic and financial affairs, the entry of Greece into the euro and, as we would also want, a happy resolution of the problem of income taxes.
It is a full agenda but one which shows how the European Union is advancing on all fronts. The EU has not been paralysed. On the contrary, it is advancing on both its internal fronts and also in external relations, which is extremely important.
The issue of the Charter of Fundamental Rights has been raised here. I must stress that the European Union has adopted a methodology for drawing up this Charter which involves a convention. The work of this Convention has not yet been completed. The Convention will have to complete its work and decide on many aspects which have not yet been decided. These include determining whether the Charter is just a document setting out principles or whether it is to be incorporated in the Treaties, whether or not the Charter will be one of the primary examples of closer cooperation, how this will be applied to the citizens, whether just to native Europeans or to other residents in EU countries, or to foreigners or even illegal immigrants – this is a problem which has not yet been decided – how it will be linked to the European Convention on Human Rights and how it will be linked to the national courts and to the existing or remodelled European courts. All these points are extremely important. I understand the appeal made in this House but must point out that this is not a direct responsibility of this European Council. In order to take this issue forward, we have decided to invite the Chair of the Convention, Mr Herzog, to contribute to this high-level exchange of views which, I am sure, will stimulate the Convention’s work of drawing up the Charter.
I must also say something on the Austria issue. As you know, this is a bilateral issue between 14 countries, which are also Member States, and one country which is a Member State too. However, this is not an EU issue or one for the EU bodies. No decision has been taken by any EU body although, naturally, we are all Member States. The Portuguese Presidency has always taken the precaution of making this distinction clear, that this was not an EU issue. On one hand this was to protect the normal operation of the European Union and the achievement of the EU agenda and on the other so as not to create any obstacle for Austria with regard to its full participation in the life of the EU and its bodies. Whenever any failure to abide by this principle has been pointed out to us, the Presidency has informed the bodies or institutions concerned to stop them acting in this way. This has been a constant concern. The Portuguese Prime Minister and I have been in contact with the other thirteen countries and with Austria and we are still doing this. I have asked the Members of this Parliament who raised the issue to be aware that it is very difficult to adopt a balanced approach to this problem if an immediate solution is demanded. I realise that the attitude adopted will have to include an element of phasing and that it is very difficult for a solution to this issue to be based on a diktat. A development may occur based on the maintenance of constant political attacks on people, political personalities and governments or even based on threats about stopping the operation and decisions of the European Union. In order to produce a window of opportunity in this issue, the political rhetoric that has surrounded it must be curbed, toned down or put on hold for the time being. Naturally, measures which were adopted in a diplomatic context through the consensus of the 14 Member States will only be able to change also through consensus between these 14 countries. The conditions for this consensus need to be created and we believe that, in this respect, Austria is creating conditions in order to solve this problem. Conditions also need to be created so that the 14 Member States can establish a new consensus. This must be borne in mind. I would call for your moderation and I very much respect the correct way, as Members of this Parliament, that you have raised this problem in this session and have considered it but it is also necessary to create the conditions so that there can be a window of opportunity. The following concept must be taken into account. The Feira European Council is an EU body and no window of opportunity can be opened at this meeting because we have to deal with the agenda and the areas of action of the EU. However, we can deal with this issue in a bilateral context before the European Council – and this is partly what we are trying to do – or after the European Council. But please do not expect the Feira European Council to deal with an item which is not on the agenda and which, if placed solely on the shoulders of the European Council, will end up prejudicing the arguments to which this problem has very rightly given rise here.
To conclude, the assessment of our Presidency will be made here next week by the Portuguese Prime Minister. For my part I must also thank France and stress the way in which we have cooperated over the transition between presidencies. I especially thank the European Parliament, which has stimulated us in its role as a real parliamentary institution, throughout our Presidency, for all its cooperation on the European agenda and for the dynamic, lively, creative and constructive way in which, during these six months, it has carried out its duties as the parliamentary body of the Union."@en1
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