Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-12-01-Speech-3-083"
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"en.19991201.7.3-083"2
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"Mr President, I wish the Finnish Presidency every success at the Helsinki Summit as this will conclude a range of important work undertaken during its term.
With regard to the issues mentioned by the President-in-Office of the Council, the shape of the Union following enlargement raises no problems for this House, for the Commission proposal or for the Council of Ministers.
On the issue of the Intergovernmental Conference, such an optimistic situation is not appropriate in view of the tour by the Finnish Prime Minister. It would be a pity to miss this opportunity of giving a boost to the project of European integration and we will regret not having taken due advantage of this occasion.
I completely agree with Mrs Halonen’s assessment that it is absolutely essential to reaffirm the international presence of the European Union. This is particularly true in the fields of security and defence to which the Finnish Presidency – and this can be said with legitimate pride – has given a decisive boost with this historic meeting of Defence and Foreign Ministers. This is the first time that this has occurred in the history of the European Union.
Furthermore, we must stress the need to consolidate the achievements made at the Tampere Summit, referred to by the previous speaker, on an area of freedom, security and justice.
As mentioned by the President-in-Office of the Council, it is essential that we confirm and prepare the work of the Portuguese Presidency with regard to employment. We are at an all-time low in the short history of the euro so the Helsinki European Council should devote some time to the issue of the external representation of the euro zone.
Mrs Halonen, you referred to the need for us to promote a more open, democratic and transparent European integration project. I noted with satisfaction the comment made by the President of the Commission on the presence of the European Parliament at the Intergovernmental Conference, but I would like you to say this as well. We cannot achieve a more open, transparent and democratic Europe if the European Parliament is not fully involved in the work of the IGC.
I hope and pray that the European Council in Helsinki can give us a Europe which is more judicious, more united and much more community-spirited, and therefore much less intergovernmental."@en1
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