PE-DN/05/125
DAILY NOTEBOOK
Thursday
Brussels, 23 June 2005
v Parliament strongly supports the Statute for MEPs
v Lloyd's of London Names - MEPs pile further pressure on European Commission
Editors: Richard Freedman/Ralph Pine
Secretariat: Sarah Donohoe
Close: 1.10pm
PE 359.655
Thursday, 23 June 2005
Codes for parliamentary procedures
A series / Reports and recommendationsB series / Resolutions and oral questions
C series / Documents of other institutions
* / Consultation procedure
**I / Cooperation procedure (1st reading)
**II / Cooperation procedure (2nd reading)
*** / Assent procedure
***I / Codecision procedure (1st reading)
***II / Codecision procedure (2nd reading)
***III / Codecision procedure (3rd reading)
Abbreviations
- Political groups: see next page
BE / Belgium / IT / Italy / PL / PolandCZ / Czech Republic / CY / Cyprus / PT / Portugal
DK / Denmark / LV / Latvia / SI / Slovenia
DE / Germany / LT / Lithuania / SK / Slovakia
EE / Estonia / LU / Luxembourg / FI / Finland
EL / Greece / HU / Hungary / SE / Sweden
ES / Spain / MT / Malta / UK / United Kingdom
FR / France / NL / Netherlands
IE / Ireland / AT / Austria
Conversion rates
1 euro = £ sterling 0.67 as at 23.06.2005
Political groups in the European Parliament
Situation as at: 23.06.2005
EPP-ED / PES / ALDE / Greens / EFA / GUE / NGL / IND / DEM / UEN / NA / TotalBE / 6 / 7 / 6 / 2 / 3 / 24
CZ / 14 / 2 / 6 / 1 / 1 / 24
DK / 1 / 5 / 4 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 14
DE / 49 / 23 / 7 / 13 / 7 / 99
EE / 1 / 3 / 2 / 6
EL / 11 / 8 / 4 / 1 / 24
ES / 24 / 24 / 2 / 3 / 1 / 54
FR / 17 / 31 / 11 / 6 / 3 / 3 / 7 / 78
IE / 5 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 4 / 13
IT / 24 / 15 / 12 / 2 / 7 / 4 / 9 / 4 / 77
CY / 3 / 1 / 2 / 6
LV / 3 / 1 / 1 / 4 / 9
LT / 2 / 2 / 7 / 2 / 13
LU / 3 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 6
HU / 13 / 9 / 2 / 24
MT / 2 / 3 / 5
NL / 7 / 7 / 5 / 4 / 2 / 2 / 27
AT / 6 / 7 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 18
PL / 19 / 10 / 4 / 10 / 7 / 4 / 54
PT / 9 / 12 / 3 / 24
SI / 4 / 1 / 2 / 7
SK / 8 / 3 / 3 / 14
FI / 4 / 3 / 5 / 1 / 1 / 14
SE / 5 / 5 / 3 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 19
UK / 28 / 19 / 12 / 5 / 1 / 10 / 4 / 78
Total / 268 / 201 / 89 / 42 / 41 / 36 / 27 / 29 / 731
Ottaviano DEL TURCO (PES, IT) - 01.05.2005
Theresa VILLIERS (EPP-ED, UK) - 10.05.2005
Christopher HUHNE (ALDE, UK) - 10.05.2005
Mercedes BRESSO (PES, IT) - 24.05.2005 / Syed Salah KAMALL (EPP-ED, UK) - 12.05.2005
Sharon Margaret BOWLES (ALDE, UK) - 12.05.2005
Vincenzo LAVARRA (PES, IT) - 24.05.2005
Giiovanni RIVERA (ALDE, IT) - 25.05.2005
Political groups
EPP-ED / Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (includes the British Conservatives, the one Ulster Unionist MEP and Fine Gael from Ireland)PES / Socialist Group in the European Parliament (includes the British Labour MEPs and the one Irish Labour Party MEP)
ALDE / Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (includes the British Liberal Democrats and one independent MEP from Ireland)
GREENS/EFA / Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (includes the British Greens, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru)
GUE/NGL / Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (includes the two Sinn Fein MEPs)
IND/DEM / Independence and Democracy Group (includes 10 UKIP MEPs and one independent MEP from Ireland)
UEN / Union for Europe of the Nations Group (includes the Irish Fianna Fail Members)
NA / Non-attached MEPs
PE 359.655 17
Thursday, 23 June 2005
European Council
Tony Blair: "a moment of decision for Europe"
Council statement - Programme of the British Presidency
Debate : 23.06.2005
Tony BLAIR told MEPs that whatever they disagreed on, everyone agreed that a profound debate about the future of Europe was underway. He said this could not be resolved by trading insults or in terms of personalities, but only by an open and frank exchange of ideas.
"The issue is not between a 'free market' Europe and a social Europe, between those who want to retreat to a common market and those who believe in Europe as a political project. This is not just a misrepresentation. It is to intimidate those who want change in Europe by representing the desire for change as a betrayal of the European ideal, to try to shut off serious debate about Europe's future by claiming that the very insistence on debate is to embrace the anti-Europe... Ideals survive through change. They die through inertia in the face of challenge."
Mr Blair said he was, and always had been, a passionate pro-European: "This is a union of values, of solidarity between nations and people, of not just a common market in which we trade but a common political space in which we live as citizens. It always will be. I believe in Europe as a political project. I believe in a Europe with a strong and caring social dimension. I would never accept a Europe that was simply an economic market."
He said the purpose of political leadership was to get the policies right for today's world. He praised the success of the EU in achieving fifty years of peace, prosperity and progress, but he said it was now time to renew - to "remarry the European ideals we believe in with the modern world we live in. " Defaulting to euro-scepticism or huddling together hoping to avoid globalisation would risk failure on a grand, strategic scale.
The debate, he said, was not about how to abandon Europe, but how to make it do what it was set up to do - improve the lives of people. "And right now, they aren't convinced... the reality is that in most Member States it would be hard today to secure a 'yes' for it in a referendum." Mr Blair said he believed the 'no' majority in France and the Netherlands was because the Constitution has become the vehicle for the people to register a wider and deeper discontent with the state of affairs in Europe.
"It is time to give ourselves a reality check. To receive the wake up call. The people are blowing the trumpets round the city walls. Are we listening? Have we the political will to go out and meet them so that they regard our collective leadership as part of the solution, not the problem?"
The budget debate, he said, should be seen in this context. The budget should be part of the answer to the problem, not abstracted from the debate about Europe's crisis. "I am the only British leader that has ever said I would put the rebate on the table. I never said we should end the CAP now or renegotiate it overnight. Such a position would be absurd." However, he said it would be wrong to agree a new financial perspective that does not at least set out a process leading to a more rational budget, and this must shape the budget in the second half of the period to 2013. "Of course Britain will pay its fair share of enlargement. I might point out that one any basis we would remain the second highest net contributor to the EU, having in this perspective paid billions more than similar sized countries."
Mr Blair called for the modernisation of the European social model: "What type of social model is it that has allowed 20 million unemployed in Europe, productivity rates falling below those of the USA, allowing more science graduates to be produced by India than by Europe and that on any relative index of a modern economy is going down not up?" Mr Blair called for Europe to follow the path set out by the Kok report from 2004, implement the Lisbon Agenda, and to develop a budget along the lines set out by the Sapir report of 2003.
The UK Prime Minister said he wanted to demolish the caricature that Britain was in the grip of some extreme Anglo-Saxon market philosophy that tramples on the poor and disadvantaged. He highlighted his government's record on the new deal for the unemployed, which had seen long-term youth unemployment virtually abolished, major increases in public service spending, the minimum wage, and lifting children out of poverty.
Turning to crime, security and immigration, he called for a relevant justice and home affairs agenda which would implement the EU action plan on counter-terrorism, develop proposals to hit hard people traffickers and drug traffickers and get return agreements for failed asylum seekers from neighbouring countries and others. He called for an enhanced European defence capability, to be able to intervene quickly and effectively in support of conflict resolution. He said the EU should be proud of being world leaders in development - but should be leading the way on promoting a multilateral trade agreement to increase trade for all, especially the poorest nations.
"Such a Europe - its economy in the process of being modernised, its security enhanced by clear action within our borders and beyond - would be a confident Europe... confident enough to see enlargement not as a threat...but an extraordinary, historic opportunity to build a greater and more powerful union. Because be under no illusion: if we stop enlargement or shut out its natural consequences, it wouldn't in the end, save one job, keep one firm in business or prevent one delocalisation."
Mr Blair said the British Presidency would try to take forward the budget deal, resolve some of the hard dossiers like the Services and Working Times Directives and to carry out the Union's obligations to Turkey and Croatia.
"Don't lets kid ourselves that this debate is unnecessary, that if only we assume 'business as usual', people will sooner or later relent and acquiesce in Europe as it is, not as they want it to be. In my time as Prime Minister, I have found that the hard part is not taking the decision, it is spotting when it has to be taken. It is understanding the difference between the challenges that have to be managed and those that have to be confronted and overcome. This is such a moment of decision in Europe. The people of Europe are speaking to us. They are posing the questions. They are wanting our leadership. It is time we gave it to them."
Commission President
Commission President José Manuel BARROSO began by placing the UK Presidency in context. "We are in a turbulent period. The UK Presidency takes place at a decisive moment and following a difficult Council summit". He said he had high expectations of the impact that UK pragmatism and its results-driven approach might have for the Union.
"You are a statesman of enormous experience and conviction and you confirm today your commitment to Europe as a political project. I therefore have every confidence that you will work towards building a new consensus for Europe". He recognised the importance of listening and sharing ideas in order to overcome the current crisis in Europe but warned against being excessively introspective. "It is by actions, not words, that we will win back public trust and confidence. Day-to-day business continues but we must also address the core issues."
Mr Barroso went on to outline several priorities for Europe: the Lisbon agenda, agreement on the EU budget, Africa, and climate change. Regarding Lisbon, he said that economic renewal and reform remained the cornerstone of the Commission. With the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy now over, it was now the time for action, and the Commission would present its Community Reform Programme in support of Lisbon over the summer. He also said that, in so far as better regulation was a core aspect of Lisbon, pending legislation would be examined for compatibility with Lisbon. On the Financial Perspective, Mr Barroso criticised the 1% countries for reducing Europe's ambitions. He said that there was now a "real urgency" if paralysis was to be avoided post-2006. The new Member States needed concrete signals of solidarity, not just words. The review clause he had proposed would serve this purpose by allowing a deal on the budget to be struck now, with an opportunity for it to be adapted later. "The responsibility lies now with the UK Presidency", he said.
He congratulated Mr Blair on making Africa a priority and hoped this would give a boost to EU efforts, which will include an EU Strategy for Africa. He expressed satisfaction with the UK's position on climate change and called for all parties to begin a dialogue for post-2012 measures. The WTO Ministerial Conference due to take place in Hong Kong later this year was crucially important and "the key to greater prosperity for all". He concluded, "We need time to reflect and build a new consensus but we must also look outwards to our global challenges and responsibilities. The Europe we want is one of economic and political integration. I hope you (Mr Blair) will make an important contribution to forging a political and a dynamic Europe".
Political group speakers
Hans-Gert POETTERING (EPP-ED, DE) welcomed the two "very significant speeches" from Prime Minister Juncker and Prime Minister Blair. He recalled that he was first elected in 1979, and now was the time that Europe was holding its most intense debate on the future of Europe, calling it a victory for democracy and parliamentarianism. "People can and are participating in the debate". He stated that the failure to reach an agreement on the financial perspective was not "tragic" in itself, but combined with the two "no" votes, Europe was in a crisis. He called for the Council to stop meeting "behind closed doors." He stated that Europe should not retreat to a free-trade zone, but affront the Europeans' "crisis of confidence." He called for Prime Minister Blair to examine the Parliament's position on the financial perspective and use it as a guide. He recalled that John Major in 1992 had successfully negotiated a financial perspective. Finally, he called for a debate on the limits and borders of Europe.