Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-01-13-Speech-1-071"

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"en.20030113.5.1-071"2
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"Mr President, I too would like to thank Mr Napolitano for his excellent work and focus on what has been the most controversial point of his report, paragraph 8(I). I believe that, as a clear, natural consequence of the European Union changing from a system based on an international Treaty negotiated by diplomats to a political Union which is of a federal nature, that is a Union based on a Constitution, the instruments of constitutional control will have to be overhauled and consolidated. The argument that giving some regions with constitutionally recognised powers – legislative powers – direct access would result in congestion at the Court of Justice would appear to be really very weak, for, if this were the case, then we would have to find a way to strengthen the Court of Justice and make the system more robust and better able to cope with the demand. Moreover, as Mr Duff has already said, it would appear necessary to make it easier for the citizens to approach the constitutional court and to identify the channels open to them, and not just where the regions are concerned but in cases of violations of the citizens’ fundamental rights too. I feel that this is an important aspect of the future European Constitution, and it is why I believe that it is, quite frankly, going too far to paint such a negative picture of the opportunity presented by this report, which I see as the more innovative, original part, treating it as some kind of impending disaster which we will not subsequently be able to control. Moreover, I feel that the compromise put forward has two major shortcomings, for it proposes two filters, two filters which are themselves inadequate. The state cannot act as a filter for the regions because, in many cases, it is in a position of opposition to a region and its powers, and the Committee of the Regions, which was created to be weak on purpose, cannot be another filter for the powers of the regions because, not least, that would introduce and preserve the idea of a false neutrality, as Commissioner Barnier said, and a false equality between the regions. This equality cannot exist because the regions have different powers, and that is just as it should be."@en1

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