Prodi sets out his vision for EU’s future

Date: 10/02/2000

By Simon Taylor

GIVING Europe a stronger voice in the world with a modernised economy and a better quality of life for EU citizens will be Commission President Romano Prodi's key goals for his five-year term of office.

In a statement setting out the strategic objectives for his presidency, Prodi says the next five years will be decisive in giving "shape to a political Europe" after completing the economic integration which began with the single market.

But, in a passage reflecting the outcry at the far-right Freedom Party's entry into government in Austria, he warns that greater integration will only become a reality when political leaders and citizens feel their "shared values" can best be promoted through "shared policies and institutions".

"We should not necessarily take for granted the values of democracy and human rights that we advocate," he warns, but adds: "We should remain confident in the Union's moderating influence on the parties within it."

Prodi says turning his vision into a reality requires a range of measures. He argues that European institutions must work more effectively to boost the public's confidence in them, starting with the reform of the Commission, and that the EU should have a stronger voice in international bodies to reflect its importance.

He also argues that the roles of the Union's different institutions should be reviewed, and has revealed that he is planning to publish a White Paper taking a fresh look at which tasks should be handled by the Commission and which should be dealt with by member states.

On the social and economic front, Podi lays out a vision of Europe which combines a traditional Keynesian ambition of full employment with the dynamism of new technological developments. "The Union needs a new economic and social agenda to build a competitive and inclusive knowledge-based economy which promotes strong and sustained growth, full employment and social cohesion," he says.

This requires EU countries to reform their social protection, health care and pension systems to "deliver a welfare state that can remain fair, caring and inclusive in a climate of more cautious public spending".

Prodi insists Europe must also respond to the concerns of ordinary people by acting to raise their quality of life. This involves steps such as improving food safety and environmental standards and creating a common area of liberty, security and justice.

Prodi's plan, which will be presented to the European Parliament next Tuesday (15 February), has been cautiously welcomed by leading MEPs, some of whom accused Prodi last month of failing to draw up a programme worthy of debate.

Wim van Velzen, Dutch vice-president of the European People's Party, said it was "much better than expected", adding: "It shows real ambition for the EU to be a global player on the political scene."

Giving Europe a stronger voice in the world with a modernised economy and a better quality of life for EU citizens will be Commission President Romano Prodi's key goals for his five-year term of office.