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| Europe |
| Brussels rejects Giscard’s blueprint for EU |
| 2003-04-24 |
| The attempt to draw up a new European Union constitution suffered a serious setback yesterday when Brussels rejected the blueprint drawn up by the former French president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. Using language that in diplomatic terms was scathing, a commission statement said it was "disappointed" with the way the convention's proposals had been presented. It added that they were "unlikely to foster the development of a consensus on these difficult institutional issues". Monica Frassoni, co-president of the Greens group in the European Parliament, said M Giscard's proposals were "a slap in the face for European democracy". M Giscard's proposals, due to be presented to EU leaders in June, threaten to dilute the commission's power and its attack sets the stage for a brutal struggle before agreement is reached. At present the plans include the appointment of a powerful EU president, with a deputy and executive office, to replace the current rotating presidency which shifts between member states every six months. They also foresee the slimming-down of the commission, reducing its current 20 members to 13, and creation of a seven-member "bureau' within the Council of Ministers to co-ordinate the EU's work. "Increasing the number of presidents and vice-presidents, setting up a bureau, can only bring confusion. Duplication of bureaucracies goes against common sense and against indications coming from all sides," the commission added. "This would undermine the checks and balances in place between the EU institutions," said a commission spokesman. "It could lead to unequal treatment of member states and this would jeopardise trust between them. In short, it would damage the community method, firmly based on an equilibrium between council, commission and parliament, which has been at the heart of the success of 50 years of European integration." 50 years of European integration? First I've heard of it. MEPs also condemned the proposals. Elmar Brok, a senior Christian Democrat, described them as "autistic". He explained: "This is purely about reducing the powers of smaller EU countries, the commission and the European Parliament." |
| Posted by:John Phares |
| #4 "...and creation of a seven-member "bureau' within the Council of Ministers to co-ordinate the EU's work. Star Chamber, anyone? |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-04-24 16:27:06 |
| #3 Now, if I've got my facts correct, and memory serves (suffers with age, you know), wasn't a very substantial part of the effort put forth to form this country's government in the Constiutional Convention(s) focused how to appropriately represent both large and small (states instead of countries)? Well, I know this will be viewed as completely unthinkable and barbaric, but could the EU (re)formation group use any of that stuff as some sort of guideline? Oh, I forgot. I don't speak the proper language, Giscard. And coming up with something "equitale" probably wouldn't allow the City of Light and its followers to take their rightful place in the sun as head of EU (President for Life). |
| Posted by: Larry 2003-04-24 15:06:47 |
| #2 "This would undermine the checks and balances in place between the EU institutions," said a commission spokesman How about the ultimate check and balance: direct election for all EU positions, from MPs on up? |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-04-24 13:08:30 |
| #1 "This is purely about reducing the powers of smaller EU countries, the commission and the European Parliament." "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" -- Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-04-24 12:27:48 |