Never so necessary” “

“2005 was not an easy year for Europe, but never as today is the European Union so necessary”. Presenting the Commission’s legislative programme and schedule of work for the next twelve months to the European Parliament, the head of the Executive José Manuel Durao Barroso recalled the results recently obtained and listed the problems that are obstructing the road to integration. The EP, meeting in plenary session from 14 to 17 November, tackled numerous questions, including legislation on chemical products, the situation in the Middle East, the enlargement of EU frontiers to the Balkans, and the problems linked to climate change and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The results achieved in 2005. “Europe – explained Barroso to the European Parliament in Strasbourg – has had to cope with terrorism, social uncertainty and natural disasters. It has had to act without a Constitution and, so far, without a plurennial financial framework”. But the Portuguese statesman said he was “proud of the work performed by the Commission” and listed some successes: “the renewal of the Lisbon Strategy”, the “reform of the Stability and Growth Pact to reinforce the credibility of the economic governance of the Union”, the launching of initiatives and provisions for “a cleaner environment”, “greater security”, “the promotion of European values in the world” through interventions of cooperation in favour of Africa and aid to the populations struck by the tsunami, the reinforcement of dialogue with the USA and “the opening of negotiations with Turkey and Croatia”. Barroso then presented the lines of action for the future. He confirmed he “wanted to remain faithful to the objectives of his mandate: prosperity, solidarity in the enlarged EU, security, and Europe as a world partner”. EP divided on Barroso. Barroso then turned his gaze to the “great challenges” that await the EU in 2006. He insisted on the need to invest resources in education, research and competitiveness, and realise “a climate favourable to business investment”. But commitments to the “management of migratory flows” and to the defence of the health of European citizens are also priorities for the Executive. The action of the Commission – explained Barroso – would involve among other things legislative simplification and a better approach to communicating with citizens. During the ensuing debate contrasting positions emerged, in part aimed at appreciating the successes obtained and in part eager to recall the “excessive dependence of the Commission on the wishes and interests of national governments”. Barroso was also accused of proposing “lists of good intentions”, without actually coming to grips with “the real problems of the Union”: namely, budget, Constitution and social Europe. Regulating the chemicals sector. The issue that especially seized the attention of MEPs this week was REACH, Regulation on the registration, evaluation and authorization of chemical substances, which ought to replace a bloc of some forty different EU directives regulating one of the continent’s most important industrial sectors, comprising some 15,000 firms, a million employees and a significant part of the GDP of the 25 (440 billion euros per year). The German Günter Verheugen, vice-president of the Commission, declared in the debating chamber that the compromise proposed by the main parties in the Parliament “strikes the right balance between the need to protect the environment and health and the need to guarantee the competitiveness of businesses”. The Commissioner then tackled the most important points of the proposed legislation: registration, field of application, evaluation of the risks linked to the 30,000 chemical substances being used in industry today, procedure for authorization and confidentiality of data. According to the other Commissioner present at Strasbourg, the Greek Stavros Dimas (development policies), “REACH is important also with a view to increasing the confidence of consumers and giving new impetus to innovation through the search for substitute products”. Public health and competitiveness. Lord Bach, speaking on behalf of the British government, which holds the revolving Presidency of the European Council, declared that REACH “represents a very important dossier in the eyes of the British Presidency” and that “all [member states] intend to find a good solution that may improve public health and the environment, while at the same time maintaining the competitiveness of industry”. The Council “will hold a serious and substantive debate on the question during its meeting on 29 November. The hope is that a political agreement may be found before the end of the year”. For his part, the rapporteur of the legislative package, the Italian MEP Guido Sacconi, explained that the proposal formulated “is based on two priority concepts: balance and responsibility”. The provision would entail greater controls on the chemical substances produced, with specific provisions for small and medium sized businesses.