Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-12-12-Speech-2-111"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-12-12"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:European Council/ French Presidency (continuation)2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20001212.6.2-111"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-12-12-Speech-2-1122
lpv:speaker	lp:W.G. van Velzen2
lpv:spokenAs	vice-chair; EPP-ED (1999-09-30--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Poland Joint Parliamentary Committee (1999-10-06--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Christen Democratisch Appèl (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Slovak Republic Joint Parliamentary Committee (1999-10-08--2002-01-14)3 substitute; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (1999-09-01--2002-01-14)3 member; Temporary committee on the Echelon interception system (2000-07-06--2001-09-05)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, it was the task of the Nice Summit to develop a Union capable of absorbing twelve new Member States. A European Union which can function efficiently, transparently and democratically. After all, the countries from Central and Eastern Europe want a robust Union, a Union capable of taking decisions. It is to be welcomed that the timetable adopted in Nice, with regard to the accession of the first countries from Central and Eastern Europe, is in line with Parliament’s timetable. But what is striking is that the Council spent four days in seclusion in Nice giving more attention to its own concerns. There was no answer to the question as to how the institutions of the European Union could function more effectively in an enlarged Union. The Council really looked after number one; to be sure, it improved things for the Commission to a certain extent and put a little sweetener Parliament’s way, as befits a father. But it all compares most unfavourably with the attention the Council gave itself. Four main problems loom large. Firstly, institutional imbalance: a great deal for the Council and not much for the Commission and Parliament. Secondly, national interests have triumphed. Only the Belgian Head of Government, Mr Verhofstadt, was a notable exception. Thirdly, a democratic deficit. Old deficits have not been made good and now new ones have come along. Fourthly, and finally, the decision-making mechanisms cannot be explained back home. It all gets very complicated. When Mr Prodi says there are no more leftovers from Nice, I would make so bold as to doubt his word. We must introduce qualified majority decision-making for the essential topics, or else the situation will become untenable. Nice will go down in history as the Summit of lost opportunity, the Summit of lack of leadership in Europe, the Summit of opposition and the Summit in whose wake the people felt even more isolated from the European Union."@en1

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