Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-12-03-Speech-3-037"
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"en.20031203.6.3-037"2
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"Presidents, ladies and gentlemen, like Mr Cohn-Bendit, I also take the view that there is no hurry, because the Nice declaration, which started the entire process, scheduled the Intergovernmental Conference for 2004 and I believe that a good and long-lasting agreement which takes a long time to reach is better than a bad agreement reached quickly. I must, however, acknowledge the merits of the Italian Presidency and the progress that appears to have been started in Naples. Naples represents a very positive step in the development of the Intergovernmental Conference, on which I heartily congratulate the Italian Presidency, and which has given rise to positive expectations in many areas. It would be extremely damaging now to disappoint these expectations. Progress was also made on enshrining the rule of one Commissioner per Member State with full and equal status. The limits imposed on the powers of the President of the European Council is to be welcomed, as is the creation of a diversified and versatile system for the rotating presidencies of the various formations of the Council, replacing the unnecessary elimination of the rotating presidency system. I welcome the rejection of the so-called ‘simplified’ methods of revising the Treaties, which would constitute an abuse of the traditional model of international and constitutional law.
Having said this, however, some points still present cause for concern and on these I would appeal to the common sense of Europe’s leaders and to the imagination of the Italian Presidency. Firstly, the principle of the primacy of Community law must be clarified and in a way that does not destroy the very principle of national sovereignty. Secondly, the transparency and openness of the legislative workings of the Council must be guaranteed, since the prospect of our having a legislative Council appears, unfortunately, to have been abandoned. Thirdly, there must be considerable caution and limitations imposed on the passerelle
clauses: these must not be seen as a means of re-establishing so-called simplified methods – which are also irregular, in my opinion – of revising the Treaties. Next, there is no need to use this too ‘forward-looking’ vocabulary, including ‘minister’ or the word ‘constitution’ itself. A solution must also be found to the issue of recognising the heritage of Christianity, of the Judaeo-Christian religion, together with other components of Europe’s historical and spiritual inheritance, and the secular nature of the institutions must be confirmed. One would have to be extremely intolerant and prejudiced not to accept the proposal of the Italian Presidency. I wish to say a few words on the issue of qualified majority voting, which Spain and Poland appear to see as an obstacle: we are in favour of parity (60% plus 60%). Spain must understand that it is the largest of the medium-sized countries and not the smallest of the large countries. Europe needs more medium-sized countries, not more countries obsessed with the idea that they are large. This is extremely important for the development of Europe’s common interest."@en1
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