Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-10-27-Speech-3-008"
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"en.20041027.3.3-008"2
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".
Mr President, on 5 November the first European Council under this Netherlands presidency will be held. The last European Council under a Netherlands presidency took place in Amsterdam in June 1997 and resulted, as you know, in the Treaty of Amsterdam.
As I said in my introduction, we will also focus on citizens' involvement in the European Union. Following the disappointing turnout at the last European parliamentary elections, the June European Council decided it was time to return to this matter. To prepare the discussion in the European Council, the presidency organised an informal meeting of the European Affairs Ministers on 5 October, exclusively devoted to increasing citizens' involvement in Europe. The meeting focused on the forthcoming ratification procedures in Member States, which entail referenda in at least ten countries. The outcome of that meeting will serve as the basis for discussion within the European Council.
The third topic of importance to the European Council is external relations. Four subjects will be discussed. First, the situation in Iraq: the European Council will examine a package of support measures for Iraq's interim government. This package will be presented formally during the working lunch with Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi. The package will, I hope, contain a political statement of intent for establishing relations with the EU and also a series of specific measures supporting the Iraqi Interim Government. Here I am thinking of EU support for the elections early next year, activities relating to civilian crisis management – such as police training – and building up the skills of the judiciary. Not only will this demonstrate the unity of the European Union, so badly needed following the events of the last year and a half, but it will also allow us in the Union to contribute actively to a real improvement in the situation in Iraq.
The European Council will also address the situation in the Middle East. We will look at how the EU can further contribute to the peace process in the short and medium term against the background of the political decision in Israel on plans to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. I cannot say at this stage what might emerge from this discussion. As far as I am concerned, the five key points formulated at the March European Council are still valid.
The European Council will also briefly discuss Iran. The international community, which includes the EU, must unanimously continue to put pressure on Iran to totally suspend all enrichment activities and improve its human rights situation. In this connection, the meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on 25 November will be an important benchmark.
Lastly, we will reflect on the situation in Sudan, especially in Darfur. We must bring pressure to bear on all the parties to achieve progress in the various peace processes. Our starting point remains that if progress is insufficient, suitable measures – including sanctions – are definitely an option. The Council will also discuss positive action, including the support the EU can offer to the recently approved extension of the African Union's mission in Darfur.
That is an overview of the forthcoming European Council, for which preparations are currently in full swing. The presidency will brief you on the outcome of the summit at the November part–session.
There are no such grand ambitions this time around. However, it will not surprise you that the major topics of the forthcoming European Council coincide with some of the main items discussed seven years ago. In 1997, as a consequence of the procedures for approval of the Maastricht Treaty – which had caused problems in some Member States – the issue of how the Union could be brought closer to the citizens was added as an agenda item. That issue has lost none of its immediacy. At the forthcoming summit we shall also be discussing citizens' involvement in the European Union.
The other important topics for the European Council are: first, a new multiannual programme for justice and home affairs; second, preparation of the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy and the Luxembourg presidency next year; and, third, external relations.
I shall start with cooperation in the area of justice and home affairs. This is a highly important topic for this European Council. On the basis of the Tampere European Council programme, much work has been done over the last five years to create a European area of freedom, security and justice. The European Union has strengthened cooperation between the Member States' justice and police departments and developed policy in the area of asylum, migration and external borders, but the work is not complete. The problems facing the Union are very much cross-border in nature: terrorism, organised crime, and flows of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. In addition, the attacks of 11 September 2001 in New York and 11 March 2004 in Madrid have shown more than ever the extraordinary scale of the challenge of improving citizens' security. At the same time, the Union must ensure that citizens can continue to enjoy their fundamental freedoms and travel freely within the Union.
The Council has therefore drawn up the programme for the next five years on the basis of the evaluation submitted by the Commission in June. This new multiannual programme – also called The Hague Programme – builds on the Tampere Programme. Over the last two days the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers have been discussing this project further in Luxembourg. The Council has reached broad agreement on the substance of the programme. The issue of qualified majority voting and codecision on asylum and immigration matters may, however, be the subject of further discussion in the General Affairs Council.
Another point of discussion was the common asylum system. It seems that a reasonable compromise has been reached on this issue. The intention is that the European Council should establish the multiannual programme. The Hague Programme is based on the Constitutional Treaty but does not anticipate it. The presidency's aim is that the multiannual programme should make maximum use of the possibilities offered by the current Treaty.
Other aspects of the new multiannual programme include combating illegal immigration, a strengthened partnership with third countries and a common visa policy, formulating basic principles for the integration of migrants, effective border surveillance, rapid information exchange between justice, police and security departments, combating terrorism and working towards a genuine European legal area. These are all essential components of a more secure Europe where the rule of law prevails and each person knows his freedom is a reality. The intention is that the European Council will ask the Commission to submit an action plan in 2005 with the measures to be adopted and related deadlines for the implementation of this multiannual programme.
The second topic is the preparation of the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy. As you are aware, during the Luxembourg presidency essential issues concerning the Lisbon strategy will be up for discussion. The Spring Council in March 2005 will have to address the mid-term evaluation of the Lisbon strategy. The Netherlands presidency wishes to make its contribution to the success of this important Spring Council. On 4 November the European Council will take note of the report by Wim Kok's working party. The European Council can subsequently ask the Commission and the Council to use the Kok report as a starting point for their preparation of the Spring Council.
At a dinner for Heads of State and Government, an informal discussion will be held on public support for reform of the Member States' economies under the title 'Managing Change'. The discussion will be introduced by the German Chancellor, the Prime Minister of Finland and the Prime Minister of Slovakia. They will share their experiences in this area with the other members of the European Council. The new President of the Commission will then explain briefly his vision for the future of the Lisbon strategy. The role of the social partners in implementing the Lisbon strategy will also be on the agenda at this European Council. Prior to the European Council meeting, the tripartite social summit of employers and employees will take place at European level."@en1
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