Italy takes over the EU Presidency, July – December 2003, July 2003

Italy took over the helm of the European Union from Greece at midnight on 1 July 2003 for what may well be the country's last rotating Presidency of the EU if the Member States adopt a new draft EU Constitution, which proposes replacing the six-month presidency with a permanent President who would hold office for two and a half years.

Following on from the success of the Greek Presidency, the start of the Italian Presidency has been overshadowed by controversy surrounding the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi. The Italian Premier, known as il Cavaliere (the knight), is under investigation for a myriad of bribery and abuse of power charges concerning attempts by a business rival to take over state-owned food group SME in the 1980s. In fact, he has only been prevented from attending court during the Presidency after a Milan court suspended his trial just hours before Italy took over the EU helm under a controversial new immunity law agreed the week before. Under the law, magistrates can investigate allegations against five top political figures - the prime minister, the president, the speakers in both houses of parliament and the president of Italy's constitutional court - but cannot bring them to trial. However the Milan court has challenged the new law, suggesting that it may be illegal and asked the Constitutional Court to investigate. The process is expected to take several months, which should give Mr. Berlusconi time to concentrate on the demands of the EU Presidency.

One of the key objectives of the Italian government during the Presidency, according to Mr. Berlusconi, will be to foster good relations with the United States. Although the EU-US Summit held in Washington on 25 June 2003 appears to have healed some of the wounds caused by the Iraq crisis, Mr Berlusconi, who was a staunch supporter of Washington during the crisis, wants to further strengthen these ties. He has spoken of improving the EU's military capabilities as a means of earning greater credibility and respect from the United States for the EU's role in global affairs.

On the EU's domestic front, the highlight of the Italian agenda will be the opening of an intergovernmental conference (IGC) in mid-October to negotiate the EU's new constitution. Although the IGC is expected to run on until March 2004, when Ireland will be holding the EU's Presidency, the Italian government is determined that the new EU Treaty should be signed at the Rome European Council in December 2003 to symbolise the reinvigoration of a European integration project whose founding treaty was signed in Rome in 1957. Although Mr. Berlusconi accepts that the treaty may not be completed by December 2003, there is still a great deal to be done if it is to reach the stage where it can be signed in the Italian capital.

The other key objectives of the Italian Presidency, which will be presented to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 1 July 2003, are:

• Promoting peace in the Middle East as part of the EU's role in the Quartet with the possibility of hosting a peace conference in Sicily

• Deepening co-operation with the enlarged European Union's neighbours, particularly North Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova

• Launching 'Action for Growth', a new programme to boost big infrastructure projects in Europe financed by European Investment Bank bonds

• Increasing co-ordination of EU pension systems possibly through a common approach enshrined in an EU-wide treaty

• Adopting new measures to combat illegal immigration and human trafficking, including the establishment of protection centres for immigrants outside EU territory

Mr. Berlusconi may expect support during the Presidency from Spanish leader, José Maria Aznar and UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, but he is likely to face tough opposition from both the French and German governments. Already both countries' media are questioning the suitability of Mr. Berlusconi for the role of the Union's chief mouthpiece for the next six months - the Berliner Zeitung described the Italian Prime Minister as 'a man whose hand we would not willingly shake' and the French daily newspaper Liberation described Mr Berlusconi as a 'danger to Europe'. France and Germany could cause the Italian Presidency further problems if they break the EU Stability Pact once again, fuelling the debate about whether the pact should continue in its present form or be made more flexible.

All in all, the Italian government looks set to preside over one of the most turbulent time in the EU's lifetime, yet it could also prove to be one of the most historic periods. If Mr. Berlusconi fulfills his goal of signing a new Treaty of Rome in December 2003 then the Italian Presidency will surely be remembered for its role in the EU's first constitution rather than the controversy amid which it began.

Links:
Italian Presidency:
	Homepage
European Sources Online: Financial Times:
	01.07.03:	Berlusconi eyes bigger EU role on world stage
	01.07.03:	Why Berlusconi could be bad for Europe
	01.07.03:	Donning the mantle
	01.07.03:	Court to review law on immunity
BBC News Online:
	01.07.03:	Doubts cloud Berlusconi debut
	30.06.03:	Berlusconi immunity challenged
European Sources Online: European Voice
European Sources Online: Topic Guides
	Information on European countries: Italy

Helen Bower

Compiled: Tuesday, 1 July 2003

Background and reporting on the week's main stories in the European Union and the wider Europe.