Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-05-15-Speech-3-297"
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"en.20020515.10.3-297"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, during the process of integration that has lasted half a century, we have learnt that cooperation based on the Community method within the context of the EU is more effective than mere intergovernmental action based on loose ad hoc agreements. Only fringe movements, estranged from reality, believe in the ability of the individual state to resolve the challenges of modern society alone. The age of eloquent diplomacy is over for good.
The Community, whose basic intentions were by nature political in the views of its founding fathers, started by using economic measures. In recent years, however, we have seen that economic integration cannot be separated from political integration. For example, it is not possible to create a fully functional internal market without strengthening the political Union.
The notion of a list of competences has been proposed in order to improve the system of competences. Like many of my colleagues, I fear that such a catalogue of competences would prove too rigid a system in a world where change is the only permanent factor. Community decision-making must be able to retain its natural flexibility.
In most cases the power of decision is still divided between the Union and the Member States. It is thus clear that we are also going to see conflicts of competences. For that reason we should focus on mechanisms with which we can resolve such conflicts. We have to create a process that will make sufficient flexibility possible, but, at the same time, offer democratically elected representatives a political way out of stalemate. Political control to prevent the concentration of power must not, however, be confused with judicial scrutiny on the part of the Court of Justice of the European Communities, as, ultimately, the Court still determines the legal basis with reference to the Treaties.
In the debate on competence some are looking for a way to transfer competence back to the Member States, which would be a step backwards for integration. This is the sort of sentiment, often expressed in the spirit of the principle of subsidiarity, that we must not be taken in by. In the debate on competence we have to concentrate on the citizens’ perceptions, so that they know who makes the decisions, where they are made, and, above all, why what is done is done."@en1
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