Foundations of the European project” “

“The fundamental dignity of the human person, the quest for peace, the respect for diversity, the need for reconciliation, solidarity between nations and the common good” are “values rooted in the culture and history of the various European peoples” which ought to constitute the very foundation “of the Union enlarged to twenty-five members”. When it resumes its work on the Constitutional Treaty, the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) “will have to ensure that the decisions taken be firmly anchored in these values, on which the European project rests”. These are some of the key points in the editorial of the January 2004 number of “Europe infos”, the monthly bulletin of the Commission of the Episcopates of the European Union (COMECE) and the Catholic Office of Information and Initiative for Europe (OCIPE). “ The membership of ten new states on 1st May will make 2004 an extraordinary year for the Union”, says the editorial, signed by Noël Treanor (general secretary of COMECE and director of the monthly) and Jan Kerkhofs (editor in chief). This EU enlargement will be followed by the European elections in June, “the appointment of a new European Commission and national referenda”: events that will lead “inevitably to a phase of uncertainty and to a deferment of the resumption of the IGC” probably to 2005. Such a deferment could, on the one hand, permit “a better understanding of what’s at stake by citizens of the Union”, but on the other could “devalue what has so far been achieved by the European Convention”. Disagreement on stem cells. One issue tackled in the January 2004 of “Europe infos” is the debate on EU funding of research that entails the utilization of human embryos and embryonal stem cells. “Freedom of research is a precious asset”, but “it needs to be managed in a responsible manner”, points out Katharina Schauer who re-traces the history of the proposal. On 19 November 2003 the European Parliament expressed itself in favour of funding all research projects in this field, thus removing the condition previously laid down by the Commission, which had authorized only the use of embryos created after 27 June 2002. During the Council of Ministers on 3 December, no agreement was reached, and the question remains open. “Why do some member states wish to benefit from such EU funding, and others strenuously oppose it?” asks the journalist. “The former claim they want to find a cure for some diseases; the latter wish to prevent human life from being reduced to laboratory material. These arguments cannot make us forget that enormous economic interests are also at stake”. More jobs in Europe. According to the objectives of the Lisbon strategy, “the employment rate in 2005 was supposed to rise to 67% of the working population and reach 70% in 2010”. But “the Union seems very far” from achieving these results, says Stefan Lunte. Only “Denmark, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands, all countries that have dared to tackle a reform of the labour market, have reached an employment level of 70%”. But the most serious question concerns “demographic ageing: the percentage of the over-65-year-olds, in proportion to those aged between 15 and 64, is currently 23%; but this percentage is set to rise to close to 40% by 2030”. According to Lunte, the recommendations formulated by the Taskforce on employment chaired by former Dutch premier Wim Kok (capacity of adaptation of workers and enterprises to the new challenges, better vocational training, partnerships between governments) will not be enough if they are not combined with “support for families, the just recognition of the role of parents and grandparents in the activity of bringing up and educating children, and the promotion of a society that helps families” These, says Lunte, are “priority challenges for the future Europe” which “the objectives of the Lisbon strategy do not take sufficiently into account”. Crackdown on fraud. “The serious irregularities committed in the past in the administration of the Eurostat statistics agency” and the “dysfunctions in the system of communications between the European anti-fraud office (OLAF) and the European Commission, have led the latter to present a new action plan in recent months”, writes Joseph Raber. To refute the reputation of corruption and poor financial management of EU institutions, “it is urgently necessary – says Raber – to review the Commission’s code of conduct in terms of accountability, introduce a new system to pool and cross-check all information relating to fraud and irregularities, and reinforce the information channels between the central and operational services”. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1270 N.ro relativo : 10 Data pubblicazione : 12/02/2004