Press Release

07/03/2000: Study Days of the EPP-ED Group in Paris: The Priorities of the Portuguese and the French EU Presidencies

Comments by Nicole FONTAINE, President of the European Parliament, José- Manuel DURAO BARROSO, former Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Franz FISCHLER, European Commissioner on the IGC, the EU-Charter on Human Rights and the EU-summit in Lisbon on employment.

A deepened high-level discussion marked the beginning of the second day of the EPP-ED Group's Study Days in Paris with the work of the actual Portuguese and upcoming French EU-Presidencies as this morning's topic. First to speak on this matter was the President of the European Parliament Nicole FONTAINE. In her opinion the enlargement process as well as the IGC will be the main challenges for both the Portuguese and the French EU-Presidencies. "We have to be prepared profoundly for the enlargement. Just dealing with the three so-called Left-Overs from Anmsterdam will surely not be enough", FONTAINE said.

"What we need is a deep and sufficient reform of the European Union. When aiming at up to 30 member states the nature of the EU will have changed deeply. Therefore we have to ask ourselves the question where the real borders of Europa lie", demanded the EP-President. This question has to be answered in geographical as well as cultural respect. "To be properly prepared for the enlargement of the Union a revision of the treaties is unavoidable. We have to separate the texts in a part containing the basic elements of the Union, so to say the constitutional aspects, and a part with the more technical agreements, which be much easier to amend", FONTAINE stressed.

The President of the European Parliament welcomed the fact that more and more member states are beginning to accept the idea of making majority voting in the Council the rule and not the exception. "In any case this has to be linked with a clear co-decision right for the European Parliament. The EP has to become a fully equal partner to the Council - at least in all those cases where majority voting applies", demanded FONTAINE. FONTAINE said she was hopeful that also the French EU-Presidency will support this line.

Next to speak was the former Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO. "Europe is again in a transitional period. We have a new European Commission with new, not finally defined competences, we have a new European Parliament, reinforced by the Treaty of Amsterdam, and we have the IGC and the Convention for the EU-Charter of Human Rights to deal with", DURAO BARROSO explained the complexity of the tasks for his country's Presidency. "It is up to us to prepare things in a way that the following French Presidency can close the dossiers. In no case we should remain with minimalistic demands. This would be irresponsible and most short-sighted", the former Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs said, who also stressed upon the importance of the upcoming EU-summit on employment in Lisbon. "Here also we must not remain with pure rhetorics. Europe has to stay globally competitive, but on the same time we have to deepen and develop our politics of social and economic cohesion", DURAO BARROSO demanded finally.

European Commissioner Franz FISCHLER addressed the tasks of the Commission in connection with the two EU Presidencies. "The European Commission has adopted a very ambitious work program for 2000. In both the field of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and in the enlargement process we will have to make some very important decisions this year. With all these decisions an effective cooperation with the Presidency is of utmost importance", FISCHLER stressed.

The three speakers' comments led to a intense and lively debate with the Members of the EPP-ED Group. The question of the upcoming employment summit and the enlargement process were topics of special interest for the Members. Being the motor of Parliament's work the EPP-ED-Group is well able and willing to work out new, positive and efficient ideas for a further development of the European Union and take its responsability as the largest Group in the European Parliament seriously.


For further information: EPP-ED Press Office,
Antoine RIPOLL Tel: +32 75 856290.    Philipp Schulmeister Tél: +32 2 2841381