Copenhagen to back Solana’s EU decision-making reforms

Date: 23/05/02

By Craig Winneker

DENMARK will push for reform of the EU's decision-making process after it takes over the Union presidency in July, according to a key diplomat.

Copenhagen hopes to implement several proposals put forward in March by Javier Solana on preparing the Council of Ministers for enlargement, the official said.

Among the possible changes outlined by Solana, the Council's secretary-general, are: streamlining EU summits; dividing the present General Affairs Councils into two new formations, one for external relations and other for internal, or so-called 'horizontal' tasks; making Council proceedings more transparent; and rethinking the system of rotating EU presidencies among member states.

'We are very much for the various ideas that are set out in the Solana report,' the diplomat said.

The proposals are due to be discussed at the next EU summit, the Spanish presidency's last, which will be held on 21-22 June in Seville.

'We support substantial opening of the legislative process of the Council,' the diplomat said, including making final votes by ministers on conclusions open to the public.

He added that Denmark supports the proposed splitting of the General Affairs Councils - with some meetings attended by foreign ministers and others by Europe ministers.

'If there's a decision on that in Seville we intend to implement that,' said the diplomat.

Reform of the EU's rotating presidency system - which would require amending the Union treaty - promises to be trickier, according to the diplomat.

'On that chapter we will not see much progress in Seville,' he said. But he added that Copenhagen was 'quite open to reforming' the system and held out the possibility that the upcoming one could be 'the last Danish presidency'.

MEPs discussed the Solana report in Strasbourg last week.

Finnish Green deputy Heidi Hautala, a strong campaigner for more transparency in EU institutions, said Solana's proposals were not bold enough.

'While Mr Solana's report pretends to improve transparency and legitimacy of the Council's work, at the same time his services seek to refuse even the European Parliament access to Council information on vital decisions relating to external relations,' Hautala said.

Denmark will push for reform of the EU's decision-making process after it takes over the European Union presidency in July 2002, according to a key diplomat.