Simitis talks up Greek presidency

Date: 03/07/03

THE Iraq war was "without doubt" the most "difficult chapter" of Greece's presidency of the EU, the country's premier Costas Simitis said on 1 July.

Outlining the achievements of Greece's six-month stint, Simitis told MEPs in Strasbourg the issue did not, however, entirely dominate the presidency. "We were able to maintain our programme and, at the same time, undertake decisive initiatives for the unity of the Union," he said.

Simitis, speaking on the day Italy assumed the EU presidency, said his country had also made "every possible effort" to reduce EU-US tensions caused by the Iraq crisis, the International Criminal Court and trade differences.

Another notable success, he said, was the recent agreement over landmark reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy. "This was especially important and ended years of uncertainty."

However, he felt the "supreme moment" of the presidency was the signing ceremony, at the foot of the Acropolis, of the accession treaty, paving the way for ten countries to join the EU next May.

Simitis said the EU has changed and "undergone a process of reshaping. It has become politically more mature and more determined to undertake action".

Romano Prodi, European Commission chief, highlighted four main achievements of the Greek presidency: conclusion of the Convention on the future of Europe's work, internal reform of the Commission, progress on the EU's justice and home affairs agenda and the accord on European political parties' status.

Prodi's only disappointment was that an accord had not been found on key asylum dossiers.

Costas Simitis, the Greek premier, outlined the achievements and difficulties of the Greek Presidency to MEPs at the plenary session in Strasbourg at the beginning of July 2003.