Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-03-14-Speech-3-013"
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"en.20070314.3.3-013"2
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".
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Madam Vice-President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs has discussed the Berlin Declaration three times. We have sent you a written copy of the results for your negotiations with the German Presidency.
I believe it is quite possible to reach agreement on three of the five chapters. The successes and achievements of the past speak for themselves. The EU is a major project for peace, a major project for freedom and a recipe for prosperity and security for citizens – and this should be expressed in the Declaration.
It should also be easy to agree on our values; after all, they are laid down in the Constitutional Treaty. Besides the classic values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, we consider solidarity and equality particularly important. In this connection, the Berlin Declaration should not talk of a ‘European way of life’, but of the European social model, which we wish to retain and continue applying in future. This particular model of individual freedom coupled with collective security is the specific aspect that defines the social models in Europe.
I think that the challenges for the future are also obvious. These have been mentioned, and there is no need to specify them all. We are confronted with a handful of huge problems of significance; and indeed an excellent response was given at last week’s Summit to the issue of climate change.
It is more difficult when it comes to describing the EU’s distinguishing features. In this regard, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the European Parliament would like to see the Berlin Declaration contain a declaration of commitment to the Community method. The Community method distinguishes the EU from all other international organisations, as it gives Parliament, the directly elected representative body of 500 million citizens, the same right of codecision as the Council of Ministers whenever we make laws, standards or rules for the people of our Member States. We should like the Community method to become the standard method, including in the second and third pillars, so that laws are no longer made by governments without the involvement of the citizens’ representative body.
The litmus test of the Berlin Declaration will be the fifth part of government commitments. This part will show whether everything that has been set down in writing previously was meant seriously, and the public will be paying particular attention to this. I believe that we need an affirmation that the previous Treaties are insufficient, and that the EU needs a new basis, putting new means at its disposal. We must declare our commitment to the new Treaty. Anything less than this global compromise would be insufficient.
The Council President showed courage at last week’s Summit on climate change. I hope she will show the same courage when it comes to the Berlin Declaration, as this courage in March will pay off at the Summit in June. I wish the German Presidency every success."@en1
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