| Author (Person) | Bower, Helen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 24.5.02 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 25/05/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The European Commission presented radical proposals on the future of the European Union to the Convention on the Future of Europe on 22 May 2002 which appear at odds with ideas recently suggested by key EU Member States. The European Commission is seeking to strengthen its position, particularly in the fields of economic policy co-ordination, justice and home affairs and foreign policy. In contrast, France, Spain and the United Kingdom are seeking to develop the role of the European Council, which would be headed by a European president. Background The Convention on the Future of Europe held its inaugural meeting on 28 February 2002. It aims to close the growing gap between the European Union and its citizens as well as improve the efficiency of the policy making process and the institutions so that the organisation can cope with future enlargement which is set to begin in 2004. More background to the history, aims and workings of the European Convention can be found in European Sources Online's previous Since its inaugural meeting, the Convention's Praesidium has met several times and there have been three plenary sessions. Through these forums, the European Convention has already discussed issues such as the delimitation of competencies, the mission of the European Union, and the legal instruments available to it. The proposals put forward by the European Commission will provide added impetus to the debate. European Commission's Proposals The proposals on the future shape of the European Union were adopted by the European Commission on 22 May 2002 on the initiative of President Romano Prodi and Commissioners Michel Barnier and António Vitorino. The Communication [COM(2002)247 final], entitled 'A Project for the European Union' calls for more effective EU structures that can respond better to citizens' demands and expectations, a stronger role for the Union and a genuine European capacity to enhance security and freedom of citizens. Speaking about the proposals Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, said,
He emphasised that the European Commission's first paper to the European Convention provided a contribution to the general debate, portraying an overall vision of Europe's future, and that the European Commission would subsequently report in detail on issues such as institutional challenges. The Communication identifies three fundamental tasks that the European Union must undertake. They are:
Under the umbrella of these tasks, the European Commission is suggesting several changes. The key proposals are:
Overall, the proposals would significantly increase the role of the European Commission in the European Union decision making process, a move which Romano Prodi said was not a step towards a European government but 'a solution for governing democratically in a globalised world' [IP/02/750] Reaction to the Proposals However, many of the European Commission's proposals are in direct contrast to the suggestions of the key Member States which view the Commission's proposals as an effort to cede more sovereignty to Brussels. The United Kingdom is particularly opposed to the proposals, particularly those concerning tax harmonisation and the moves to create a two speed Europe by giving formal decision making powers in the field of economic policy to a special 'Eurozone Council', thereby excluding the UK, Sweden and Denmark. Moreover, France, Spain and the United Kingdom have been combining efforts in recent weeks to push for a more powerful European Council, headed by a European President elected by European governments. They are also keen that foreign policy remains the Council's domain. Tony Blair, the UK Prime Minister, has announced his backing for French proposals for an EU President which are believed to be supported by Valery Giscrad d'Estaing, the Convention's President and José Maria Aznar, the Spanish President, announced his support in a speech at St. Anthony's College, Oxford. Aznar said he was in favour of,
Aznar also suggested that the president should be supported by a presidential team consisting of five or six Heads of State and Government under a rotating scheme. This group of countries would be responsible for chairing the sectoral councils, thus ensuring continuity and consistency of work. Therefore, the European Council would become the competent institution for deciding the Union's political direction and strategies and in order to ensure a balance between all the institutions the European Council should possible have the right to dissolve the European Parliament, on the initiative of the European Commission. From this position, it would seem that there are going to be 'two sides' to the debate on the future of Europe. The key member states will be on one side while the European Commission and the European Parliament look set to join forces on the other. The European Parliament has already expressed its support for the European Commission's proposals on the basis that a stronger European Commission would indirectly lead to a stronger European Parliament, which controls the European Commission. In a press release issued by the Parliament after Prodi had presented the proposals, MEPs expressed their support for increased use of the 'Community method' and welcomed the ambitious proposals which differed from those so far suggested by Member States. Indeed, the leader of the European Socialists in the European Parliament, Enrique Baron Crespo, claimed that recent Member States' proposals represented a model of 'the Holy German Roman Empire, not a community model,” It remains to be seen what line the smaller Member States will take but they are unlikely to support any weakening of the European Commission. Similarly, there has not yet been much response from civil society groups although the European Platform of Social NGOs has broadly welcomed the proposals although it claims the European Commission has not been sufficiently ambitious, saying,
A Heated Debate Clearly, by submitting several radical proposals the European Commission has ignited what will be a heated debate on the future of Europe and the real substance of the European Convention can now get underway. The divide looks set to be drawn between the key Member States who are seeking an intergovernmental model and the European parliament and European Commission who favour a more federal approach. The Convention will hold its next working sessions on 6-7 June 2002 and the Convention President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing is expected to report on the first 'listening' phase of the Convention at the European Council meeting in Seville on 21-22 June 2002. Leaders from the national governments were expected to move to strengthen the Council in Seville so this could provide the first indication of the impact the European Commission proposals will have in determining the future of the European Union. Further information within European Sources Online:
Further information can be seen in these external links: EU Institutions European Commission Miscellaneous Organisations
News Organisations
Further and subsequent information on the subject of this In Focus can be found by an 'Advanced Search' in European Sources Online by inserting 'Convention on the Future of Europe', 'European Convention' or 'Future of the Union' in the keyword field. Helen Bower The European Commission presented radical proposals on the future of the European Union to the Convention on the Future of Europe on 22 May 2002 which appear at odds with ideas recently suggested by key EU Member States. The European Commission is seeking to strengthen its position, particularly in the fields of economic policy co-ordination, justice and home affairs and foreign policy. In contrast, France, Spain and the United Kingdom are seeking to develop the role of the European Council, which would be headed by a European president. |
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