Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-12-17-Speech-1-099"
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"en.20011217.3.1-099"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Laeken Declaration on the future of the European Union is a positive step towards a European Union that is more citizen-oriented and more transparent. A good declaration, however, must not remain mere empty words. For example, the conclusion of the Lisbon Council that the European Union should be made the world’s most competitive area has to an extent met with a surprising degree of reluctance on the part of Member States to do anything about it. It is essential from the point of view of the Union’s credibility that words and deeds go hand in hand. The Union and its institutions have – with good reason – been criticised for being too distant from the people. In order to promote a more citizen-oriented approach, any preparatory work for revision of the Treaties in the future must be carried out in a more transparent manner. The European Council must observe the same principles of democracy, efficiency and consistency that we also expect of the other EU institutions.
The expected – and positive – decision of the European Council at Laeken, was to set up a Convention. So, in this respect, I disagree with my good friend, Charles Tannock. The problem, however, lies in the fact that three distinguished European statesmen, each with a long life’s work behind them, have now been appointed to lead the Convention. No women were even shortlisted for the presidency. Experience is obviously invaluable, but in order to guarantee a citizen-oriented approach we ought now to be thinking about the sort of age and gender distribution there should be among the Convention’s other members so that the EU can really be brought closer to its citizens and in particular the shapers of the future, that is to say, the young.
At Laeken the question of the location of the urgently needed food agency to be set up in the new year was discussed. In view of the diseases among animals that have recently occurred in practically all Member States, Europeans have the right to expect Heads of State to do their utmost to ensure there is complete safety with regard to food. The way the matter was dealt with by the Council, however, was more reminiscent of a farce, which, according to the German newspaper
put even all the soap operas in the shade. It is quite indefensible that populist objectives should be able to hamper decision-making in a matter that is crucial to the health and well-being of our citizens."@en1
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"Die Welt,"1
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