Barroso seeks support for his vision of Europe

By Simon Taylor

Date: 24/05/06

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will go to the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers outside Vienna this weekend seeking backing for his vision of how to revitalise the Union.

The meeting, being held at the 12th-century Klosterneuburg Abbey, is meant to give ministers the chance to reflect on issues related to the future of Europe ahead of the EU summit on 15-16 June. They will take stock of national debates on the EU's future and address questions such as subsidiarity, or the need to take decisions closer to the citizens, the fate of the EU constitution, enlargement and coherence in external relations.

Barroso wants to ensure that the summit gives the broadest possible support to his "citizen's agenda for Europe". This foresees a near-term focus on delivering policies of direct benefit to citizens and a "Messina II" declaration next year, setting out the EU's core values and objectives ahead of a relaunch of a debate on institutional reforms.

Draft conclusions for the summit drawn up by the Austrian presidency of the EU have already taken on board many of Barroso's suggestions including a commitment to "respond to citizens' expectations" to "rebuild a climate of confidence and trust, proving to citizens through concrete results" that the Union can address their "needs and aspirations".

The conclusions endorse the Commission's call for decision-making on justice and home affairs to be improved using provisions within the existing treaties. This is a reference to using a clause in the Amsterdam Treaty enabling the EU to end national vetoes over police and judicial co-operation and increase the role of the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice over laws in this area.

The draft conclusions also welcome the Commission's offer to launch a review of the single market next year and present proposals for removing remaining obstacles.

The presidency has identified the Union's priorities as "protecting the citizen", which involves more action on justice and home affairs and improving the Union's ability to manage crises; "preserving the European way of life in a globalised world", which involves boosting competitiveness while ensuring that the social aspect of legislation is taken into account; "improving the efficiency and coherence of external policies" and "improving the functioning of the Union" through greater transparency in decision-making, more focus on subsidiarity, cutting bureaucracy and simplifying legislation.

But there will be less progress than expected on ensuring better coherence in foreign policy as a number of reports from the Commission and the presidency on ways to ensure that the different EU institutions better co-ordinate their actions have been delayed until after the ministerial meeting this weekend.

The meeting will be chaired by Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik.

Article anticipates an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, at Klosterneuburg Abbey outside Vienna, on 27-28 May 2006. The meeting was meant to give ministers the chance to reflect on issues related to the future of Europe ahead of the European Council meeting on 15-16 June 2006. Ministers were to take stock of national debates on the EU's future and address questions such as subsidiarity, or the need to take decisions closer to the citizens, the fate of the EU constitution, enlargement and coherence in external relations.

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