Speech from Mr José Manuel Durão Barroso,
President-designate of the Commission,
in the European Parliament,
on Wednesday, 21 July 2004

Statement by the President-designate of the Commission




Barroso, President-designate of the Commission. (ES) Mr President, my dear José, I warmly congratulate you on your election. I wish you and the institution you preside over every success.

(PT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I feel privileged to stand here before the first democratically-elected Parliament of an enlarged European Union. You are the representatives of 450 million Europeans. This assembly symbolises the renaissance of freedom and democracy – spreading to every corner of our continent from the Mediterranean to the Baltic Sea. Never before has there been an experiment like ours: to forge, democratically, a union out of the nations of Europe, which have such diverse and such rich traditions. We are united in our diversity – national, regional, cultural, linguistic and political. Over 50 years we have designed a new and unique way of working together. We have pooled our sovereignty to face common challenges. We have shown that our nation states are stronger when we act together in areas where Europe delivers the best results. Let us never underestimate this great European achievement. Our vision of integration provides an example for other regions. As Jean Monnet said, ‘la Communauté n’est qu’une étape vers les formes d’organisation du monde de demain.’

The first of May was an event of historic proportions with the accession of ten new Member States. What we must now do is work together to ensure the success of a reunited Europe, in order to guarantee prosperity, solidarity and security for our continent. I come from a small country which has experienced the transition from dictatorship to democracy; a country on the edge of our continent, but with its heart at the very centre of Europe. I stand for the basic values that underpin our Union: freedom, respect for human rights, the rule of law, equality of opportunity, solidarity and social justice. My values and my experiences will allow me, if I receive your endorsement, to build bridges across the Union. This is why I believe I received the unanimous support of the European Council. I am conscious that one of the main tasks of the President of the Commission is to manage the dynamic consensus that Europe needs. Our Union must more than ever have a strong and independent Commission. Only then can we produce results that translate into concrete benefits for our citizens.

(EN) These beliefs and convictions lead me to launch a challenge today. I would like us, together with Member States, the social partners, businesses and citizens across the Union, to build a partnership for Europe – a partnership for prosperity, solidarity and security in our continent. We must build our Europe together. Words must be transformed into actions. We must argue the case for our Union every day, and the best argument is our results.

We must show our citizens that Europe can deliver what it promises effectively, efficiently and transparently. However, we must also be aware of the level at which things are best done: European, national or regional, with full respect for the principle of subsidiarity. What we do we must do well. This means we must concentrate on the questions that are most important to our citizens.

In building our partnership for Europe we must recognise that the biggest challenge we face is not the Euroscepticism of the few but the Euro-apathy of the many. We must listen to those who voted in last month's European elections, but we must also hear the silence of those who – for whatever reason – chose not to vote. Our goals are prosperity, solidarity and security and we must show concrete results: the euro, delivering monetary stability and investment, a single market fuelling growth, competition and jobs, a unique social model protecting the weakest in our society and helping people adapt to changing circumstances, quality public services offering affordable access for all, a sustainable approach to the environment and – perhaps of greatest importance – peace and stability in our region and beyond.

Last month we put the final touches to our Constitutional Treaty. This is also European practice: delivering a vision, adapting to change. That Treaty consolidates and simplifies the Union, it strengthens our democratic base by extending this Parliament's powers and by finding innovative ways to give a greater voice to national parliaments and to Europe's citizens. It will make us more effective in tackling areas where common action is needed. It will be a great challenge.

The challenge now is ratification. It will be a crucial moment and lead to a broad discussion on the kind of Europe people want. The new Commission, this Parliament and Member States must be ready with answers. We must make the case for Europe and this will be a huge communication challenge. To win that debate, we should not have a bureaucratic or a technocratic approach, we need instead political leadership and political courage.

The partnership I propose must, therefore, respond to the concerns of our citizens. Today is not the moment to unveil a detailed programme. If I receive your backing, I first want to discuss policy ideas within the college, then with you and with the Council. The new Constitutional Treaty already foresees that we must put our objectives together. If confirmed, early in 2005 I will bring before you and the Council proposals for the overall strategic priorities to guide our work for the years ahead. Such an agenda of prosperity, solidarity and security must deal with the most pressing challenges for our peoples today.

Europe and the world are changing, and we need to change too. Reforms are needed. If we want Europe to work we must give people jobs. But employment will only be created if we get the right environment for enterprise and, at the same time, we must invest more in skills and training. We must put growth centre stage. Our social ambition must be fuelled by economic success. Wealth creation is the key to our model of social solidarity and sustainability. This is at the core of the Lisbon Agenda. Entrepreneurship and innovation must be harnessed to deliver a better quality of life. We must never forget the economy is there to serve the people and not the other way around. This is the spirit in which we must also interpret the stability and growth pact. This means ensuring the flexibility needed to keep us on the path to growth and employment, whilst preserving monetary stability.

We must also meet the challenges of globalisation. This means facing up to competition in open global markets. It also means spreading prosperity and opportunity around the world. The Union needs to match its political ambition with its financial resources. You cannot have more Europe for less money, especially if we want a similar level of solidarity towards the new Member States as we have shown to the less-developed regions in the past. However, we must also be able to show to taxpayers that the money they entrust to Europe is spent prudently. We need to ensure that we foster stability and invest for growth. This means sound public finances, but also 21st-century networks and strong services of general interest to knit our economies and continent together.

Health and social protection systems need to prepare for an ageing population and, together with education, these services must be more than just a safety net.

Our future success will depend on our willingness to take risks, be ready for change and to introduce reforms. Our scientists, universities and companies should keep us at the cutting edge of technology. We must also ensure that understandable public fears about new science are properly and democratically addressed.

We must deliver a better quality of life. This means taking decisions now to create the right incentives for cleaner energy and transport. We must live up to our international agreements in Kyoto and make sure that our partners do the same. We must balance decisions today against their impact on growth, jobs and the environment tomorrow if we are to offer the coming generations a truly sustainable future.

The construction of an area of freedom, security and justice remains one of our most important strategic objectives. The Commission should remain a driving force helping to create the conditions needed for the removal of internal borders and the strengthening of the Union's external borders. Taking forward policies on immigration, asylum and the integration of immigrants in our society are other key elements.

In addition, we must implement the counter-terrorism action plan. Terrorism is the biggest threat to freedom in Europe and in the world today.

On the world stage we must spread peace and stability. This applies as much to our nearest neighbours as to the support that we give to the role of international institutions such as the United Nations. We must keep the spotlight on conflict prevention and on the eradication of poverty and disease, particularly in Africa. These are some of the issues that will provide the policy backdrop for our action. In all of this our challenge is one of changing attitudes, not changing values.

(FR) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the European Union is a bold and unprecedented experiment.

The Commission itself is a unique institutional innovation, as befits the European journey. A strong Commission must be open; it must consult and listen in continuous dialogue with civil society, the social partners and the regions. To do all this, the Commission relies on the quality and independence of its members and the talent and dedication of its staff.

I can assure you today that I am determined, with your support, to preside over a Commission that will work as a team, bringing together a variety of talents and skills, the best that national traditions have produced, and that the Commission will have to meet the highest standards of excellence in public life. With that in mind, I want the next Commission to have a greater proportion of women than any previous one.

(Applause)

We need to give the Council an understanding of how necessary this is, since it shares with me the responsibility for drawing up the list of candidates for the posts of commissioner. I shall exercise the full extent of my powers under the treaties as regards the selection of future commissioners, the allocation of portfolios at the start of and during their terms of office, and the direction of their work. The importance of collective responsibility will also have to be fully recognised and we shall have to ensure that this college, with its twenty-five members, will be able to act swiftly, effectively and coherently. Quite apart from that, one thing that must be clear is that there will be no first and second-class commissioners in the Commission over which I shall preside.

(Applause)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Commission and Parliament must work together in a positive spirit, while respecting each institution’s competences. I therefore give you my firm commitment to cooperate closely with Parliament in complete transparency and always to take account of your views, even when we disagree. I promise you three things in particular:

Firstly, if a commissioner is clearly not up to his or her job or he or she fails in his or her obligations under the Treaty, I will not hesitate in asking him or her to resign.

Secondly, I recognise the importance of the democratic control exercised by Parliament. I shall therefore endeavour to provide you quickly with all the information you need for the purpose. I also promise to inform you about documents sent to the other institutions and about the consultative bodies used by the Commission.

Thirdly, I will maintain a regular dialogue with Parliament. As well as coming to speak to you about the state of the Union at your first plenary session each year, I will be regularly attending the Conference of Presidents.

Your commitment and active support are essential if the Commission is to be at its most effective and Europe is to play a front-line role. You are the voice of the peoples of Europe. I need your support because Europe needs a strong, credible and independent Commission. I pledge to work actively for Europe to be much more than just a market. I want a Europe that is also social and cultural. Culture must remain at the heart of our partnership for Europe.

Let us together open a new chapter in European integration and give clear voice to our common desire to work for the benefit of Europe’s citizens. We must not be afraid of the future: the future is in our hands. Let me say in conclusion, as one politician speaking to other politicians, that I fully understand the historic responsibility of this very special moment. It is essential that this enlargement is a success. Europe must be a success.

If I am speaking of the Commission’s role, it is not because I am already defending my territory or my institution, but it is because, on the strength of my experience, I believe that the Commission can be the system’s great mediator. That it can play the part of honest broker between the various institutions. In this regard, I also want to tell you that we need political direction. We all have political ideas, and just as we have political ideas, friends and allies, we also have adversaries. Finally, I also want to add that if I am elected I want to work with all of you. I shall of course be closer to those who, like myself, support the advancement of the European agenda and are for the European Union. What I want to say to you, however, is that I shall not be the President of the right against the left or of the left against the right. I will not be the President of one part of Europe against another part of Europe, because I am convinced that my election will allow a bridge to be built between the founding members and the new members of Europe, between the richer and the poorer, between the countries at the centre and those on the periphery, between the larger countries and the smaller countries, because we need them all. I promise to work with everyone for the good of our Europe. Thank you for your attention.

(Applause)