Dutch pledge to heighten interest in EU

By Martin Banks

Date: 24/06/04

THE Dutch government launched its presidency last night (23 June), pledging to boost flagging public interest in the Union.

One of the key aims of the six-month tenure, particularly in light of the low turnout in this month's European elections, will be to raise awareness of the EU, said Dutch Europe Minister Atzo Nicolaï. He said the Dutch presidency would focus on finding ways to make Europeans feel more connected to the 25-nation bloc.

"It is of the utmost importance. If you have no popular support you cannot carry out decisions properly," said Nicolaï.

Their five-point presidency action plan comprises:

• Concluding accession negotiations with Romania and Bulgaria and opening talks with Turkey;
• establishing closer cooperation between member states in the fight against terror;
• improving EU-Asia relations, with summits planned in South Korea, China and India;
• ensuring member states respect the rules which underpin the single currency, and;
• paving the way for discussions over the EU's next six-year spending round, to be completed next year.

The Netherlands, which takes over the rotating presidency from the Irish on 1 July, will not have a presidency slogan but aims to help make the EU "more democratic, efficient and transparent", said Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot.

At a low-key launch, Bot said he hoped the thorny, and still outstanding, issue of who will succeed Romano Prodi as European Commission president will be settled "within days" by the outgoing Irish presidency, allowing the Dutch to concentrate on its five key policies.

Bot, a veteran Dutch diplomat, said the presidency was particularly keen to see the EU play a more effective role in post-war Iraq.

The Dutch government will organize a referendum on the recently adopted EU constitution before the end of its stint at the EU's helm, in December.

Priorities of the Dutch EU Presidency, July-December 2004.

http://www.government.nl/documents-and-publications http://www.government.nl/documents-and-publications

http://www.eu2004.nl http://www.eu2004.nl

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