Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-07-02-Speech-3-061"
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"en.20030702.1.3-061"2
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".
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Members of Parliament, this morning’s debate has most of all highlighted the extent of the tasks and difficulties of the six months that lie ahead: six months of crucial importance for the great initiatives that must be completed and the new paths that are to be opened up. The objective that stands out above all others is the Intergovernmental Conference, which is to give us a Constitution that should not only contain an architecture for our institutions but also constitute a set of visions, values and models of society. We expect a lot from the Italian Presidency, because this is our great challenge and because this Constitution will dictate the rules of this Europe of ours for a long time to come.
The line of action should lead on from the Greek Presidency, but with certain particularly significant moments. At these moments the Commission will carry out its mandate – a mandate that is not only executive but also one of instigation and proposal – I repeat, leading on in terms of the policies and collaboration that we have built up over these years together with the European Parliament and the various Presidencies. The Commission must be the guarantor of this continuity and it will encourage and help the Italian Presidency to move with us in the same direction.
The debate focused precisely on these major problems, and the Commission will put these objectives into practice and carry them out using its institutional methods for representing and promoting the Union’s interests. In what fields? We shall do so in the field of institutional reform, as we have said, in the drive for economic revitalisation, for the normalisation of friendly relations with the United States in a position of dignity and equality; we shall do so by furthering and speeding up the difficult, complicated process of the accession of the Balkan countries into Europe and with the gradual achievement of the project of the ring of friendly countries, thus putting our vision into practice. Here, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to recall the debate which has run all this year, focusing on the borders of Europe: a difficult and complicated debate which, you will recall, it was impossible to commence at the beginning of the legislative period, and which looks towards the completion of our Union with the candidate countries, with the addition of the Balkan countries, and looks towards the construction around them of strong, close and friendly relations with the surrounding countries, from Russia to Morocco, with whom we must share everything save our institutions, since our Union must have its own borders, its own strength and its own depth. We shall do so by furthering our work on the security of our citizens, and on the rules for and rights of emigrants.
I should like to dwell just a little more on some of the points I have listed because I consider them key points for our future work. Firstly, I must assure you all that we shall always be true and strict guardians of compliance with the Treaties and the new Constitution. Secondly, we shall strongly support the balanced development of our society. The Lisbon process, which has emerged today as a strong point, is our point of reference, because Europe must overcome the worldwide challenge, but it must overcome it through balanced and socially sustainable development. The increasing differences between the citizens of the various European countries in almost all our nations over the last decade concerns me at least as much as the lack of growth. At this historic moment, we cannot throw social dialogue and consultation out of the window, since these are the pillars of the European social model on which we have laboured so hard in recent years.
With regard to infrastructure, we have already underlined our new undertaking and it will be our responsibility and duty to be rigorous and selective in assessing the costs and benefits, and just as rigorous in finding sources of finance that are compatible with our rules and with long-term sustainability. We are working on this side by side with the European Investment Bank, and we shall be making the same effort in the field of research, without which Europe will be a lost continent.
With regard to immigration, the Commission will be supporting a European undertaking to combat the new slave traders, but we shall not tolerate, as happened at Thessaloniki, people confusing firmness with inhumanity, or regulation of migration flows with violence and discrimination.
With regard to international relations, lastly, the Commission maintains its commitment to peace and a multilateral approach to resolving conflicts. Moreover, the Union’s humanitarian commitment will continue to provide the long-term aid that is by far the greatest priority to every country in the world.
These are the guidelines for the coming six months. I believe it will be a period of cooperation and a period which, with the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Conference, will genuinely open a new chapter in the history of Europe."@en1
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