| Author (Person) | Bower, Helen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 1.3.02 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 01/03/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A new chapter in the history of Europe was opened on 28 February 2002 just as another important chapter in Europe's history closed. While European citizens across the eurozone spent their last national coins and banknotes before they ceased to be legal tender, the attention of Europe's media and key figures was focussed on the launch of the Convention on the Future of Europe. One of the key aims of the Convention is to close the growing gap between the European Union and its citizens as well as improving the efficiency of the policy making process and the institutions so that the organisation can cope with future enlargement which is set to begin in 2004. The Convention is widely seen as a milestone for the EU and a determining event if the organisation is to have a successful future. Speaking at the launch of the Convention, its President, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing recognised its importance, saying,
Background Joschka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, is often seen to have ignited the debate on the future of the European Union in a speech he made in May 2000 entitled 'From Confederacy to Federation - Thoughts on the finality of European integration'. This outlined his views of 'the possible strategic prospects for European integration far beyond the coming decade and the intergovernmental conference'. Fischer's speech sparked a series of key speeches by important European figures such as Romani Prodi, President of the European Commission; Jacques Chirac, the President of France; and Tony Blair, the UK Prime Minister, on the future development of the European Union. [See European Sources Online's previous In Focus: The debate was further fuelled by the 'IGC 2000' [See European Sources Online's In Focus: The debate on the future of Europe was officially opened at the European School in Brussels on 7 March 2001. The second phase of structural reflection, as scheduled in the Nice timetable, was defined at the Laeken European Council held on 15 December 2001 when the Laeken Declaration on the Future of the European Union was adopted[See European Sources Online's In Focus: The Laeken European Council decided that the best way to conduct this 'structural reflection' was by establishing a Convention to debate the future of the European Union for a year. The Convention would begin in March 2002, in preparation for the next intergovernmental conference in 2004. Its starting point would be some 56 questions agreed upon at Laeken. The European Council also agreed at this point upon the mandate and the institutional structure of the Convention as well as outlining a number of indications on how it should operate in terms of deliberation, drafting and decision-making. Convention on the Future of Europe
All the Member States of the European Union as well as the thirteen candidate countries will be represented on the Convention. The 105 members come from a range of backgrounds: all national parliaments in the Member States and candidate countries have two representatives with a further 16 representatives from the European Parliament. There is one representative form each of the 28 governments and the European Commission has two representatives. There are also representatives from non-governmental organisations and academia. A full list of the Convention members is available on the Convention's website. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the former French President, was chosen by leaders at the European Council in Laeken in December to chair the Convention. His appointment was questioned in certain sectors, largely because of his age. Many felt that at 76 and with a 45 year political career behind him, he was not the right person to lead a debate about the EU's future and to reconnect it with its citizens, especially the younger generations. Giscard d'Estaing himself also stirred more controversy about his appointment by demanding huge wages and benefits. Demands he later withdrew. Two vice chairmen - former prime ministers, Jean-Luc Dehaene of Belgium and Giuliano Amato of Italy - will help Giscard d'Estaing, with Dehaene assigned the special task of organising a 'forum' to elicit citizens' views. Sir John Kerr, the UK's ambassador to the EU between 1990 and 1995, will act as the Convention's Secretary General. Aside from the criticism surrounding Giscard d'Estaing's appointment, the composition of the Convention has also fuelled controversy because of the lack of female members. The European Women's Lobby has begun a campaign to increase the number of women involved in EU decision making and issued a press release saying,
The European Youth Forum has also criticised the absence of anyone under the age of thirty five on the convention, saying in a press release,
Clearly, certain civil society organisations feel that the composition of the Convention may affect its ability to fulfill its task
The actual task of the 105 members is in fact extremely broad. As Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for regional policy and institutional reform and one of the European Commission's representatives, said the real question is,
Clearly the overall aim is to make the European Union workable with as many as twenty eight members while also taking it closer to European citizens. With these goals in mind the Laeken European Council identified four key issues which need to be discussed at the Convention:
In addition, the Convention is also likely to address the role of the European Union in global affairs and how foreign policy should best be handled in a new multipolar world. Throughout the course of the Convention there is likely to be much opposition between the pro and anti-federalists with the possibility of a constitution, in some form, on the cards. However, Giscard d'Estaing is said to be luke warm towards federalism and Giuliano Amato, while being prepared to consider an EU governing constitution has emphasised that this would only be possible if it were approved in an EU wide referendum.
All of the ambitious tasks of the Convention were highlighted at its inaugural session which took place on 28 February 2002 in Brussels. The session opened with an address by the President of the European Council, José M.Aznar, who argued that a crisis in the integration process did not exist but that the current world situation made it 'imperative for the Union to quicken the pace of its advance'. He cited the ideas of a European philosopher, the Spaniard Ortega y Gasset as a reason building a strong EU saying,
Aznar also emphasised the need to close the gap between the Union and its citizens, declaring that the major objective of the work of the Convention must be,
The importance of reconnecting the Union with its citizens was also highlighted by Pat Cox, President of the European Parliament, who made a speech directly after Aznar. Cox highlighted the particular significance which the European Parliament attaches to dialogue with citizens and civil society and urged the Convention to 'be a talking but also a listening Convention' saying,
Representing the other key EU institution, the European Commission, Romano Prodi highlighted the unique nature of the European Unionsaying,
Following this introduction, it was time for the Convention's Chairman to speak. Giscard d'Estaing spoke of the development of European integration since the 1950s and urged the Convention to continue with this progress. He gave details of the members of the Convention as well as outlining the main aims. These include addressing two particular groups of European citizens: the younger generation and the citizens in the candidate countries. The chairman also suggested that the Convention should carry out an extensive survey to find out what Europeans want from the EU in fifty years time. Following the listening phase, the Convention would then have to examine 'the various prescriptions for Europe's Future which others have put forward' and he specifically mentioned the following formulae:
With the Convention on the Future of Europe officially launched, the presidium will now meet at least twice a month to carry out its work with a plenary session of the Convention to be held once a month in public. The first plenary session is scheduled for 21 and 22 March 2002. [For details of other meeting consult the Convention's timetable]. The first draft of a report should be published by the Convention in Summer 2002 and its final report in June 2003 with proposals for a new treaty to follow. As for the success of the Convention on the Future of Europe, it certainly promises much in theory. For the first time in its history the European Union is actually sitting down and conducting a thorough appraisal of itself, its work and its institutions as highlighted by Giscard d'Estaing who said,
However, the question remains as to what the Convention can achieve, especially in redressing the democratic deficit. In his introductory speech at the inaugural session of the Convetion, Giscard d'Estaing spoke of the importance of the single currency, saying,
But can the Convention on the Future of Europe achieve the same in overcoming the euro-sclerosis throughout the EU? It is quite possible that the 28 February 2002 will be more significant in terms of making Europeans feel more involved in the European Union because everyone in the eurozone is now using the same currency rather than because the Convention on the Future of Europe got underway. Further information within European Sources Online:
Further information can be seen in these external links: (long-term access cannot be guaranteed) EU Institutions European Commission DG Press and Communication
European Parliament
National Organisations
Miscellaneous Organisations
News Organisations Further and subsequent information on the subject of this In Focus can be found by an 'Advanced Search' in European Sources Online by inserting 'Convention on the Future of Europe' or 'Future of the Union' in the keyword field. Helen Bower Overview of the Convention on the Future of Europe - its origins, its members and its objectives - following its inaugural session on 28 February 2002. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
