Investing new energies

The constitutional process, future enlargement, “economic competitiveness based on innovation and research”, and the necessary “creation of a space of security and liberty” in which “the threats to the citizen” and “illegal immigration” can be combated: these are some of the key points on the agenda of the revolving Presidency of the European Council, which will be entrusted to Finland in the second half of 2006. The Finnish programme for the EU was presented by the premier MATTI VANHANEN at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 5 July. THE AMBITIONS OF HELSINKI. The head of the Helsinki government, after describing various political ambitions, declared that “any six months’ Presidency of the Council is only one ring in a long chain”; almost as if to recognize that the big decisions in each of the sectors listed will be taken only under the more authoritative German Presidency (first half of 2007) and French Presidency (second half of 2008). As regards the enlargement of the EU frontiers, Vanhanen explained: “Once negotiations have been begun with a country, it is obvious that its future membership is on the cards. But the candidate countries must give proof that they respect the necessary criteria for entry; that goes especially for Turkey and for Croatia. At the same time, the Union must reflect on its capacity for absorption”. As for the Constitution, the Finnish premier insisted on “the need to give legitimacy to the EU in the eyes of citizens” and “show that we cannot do without Community Europe”. “FOCUSING ON INNOVATION”. In his speech to the European Parliament, the Finnish premier spoke at length on the need to “multiply investments in the field of research, innovation and training”, so that the Lisbon Strategy “can become a reality”. “We have invested a lot of money and energy in research – explained Vanhanen to Gianni Borsa, SIR correspondent in Strasbourg -. Each member country has this responsibility if we want to achieve the overall growth of the European economy”. And to those governments that continue to make pledges in this field, without actually putting them into practice, what would he say? “The funds invested in innovation, the training of youth and researchers, yield excellent results – replies the Finnish premier -. According to the Lisbon objectives, each country ought to invest 3% of its GDP in this field. In the next few years we won’t of course reach that level, but it’s important to continue to make progress in this direction”. The European Council in June decided that a Declaration on the values and objectives of the Union will be signed in March 2007, to mark the 50th anniversary of the EEC Treaties: what points should this text contain? “We ought, after exhaustively discussing them, enunciate in this document the real political priorities of the EU for the next 10-20 years – explains Vanhanen -. We also need to establish with what resources and on what timetable we should pursue them”. STRUCTURAL FUNDS. During its plenary session, the EP tackled various questions. In particular, the package relating to the Structural Funds for the period 2007-2013 was approved: so the go-ahead has been given, from 1st January next year, to investments worth 308 billion euros to support the new member states and the more backward regions in terms of economic and infrastructural development, and boost social cohesion, professional training and territorial cooperation. The funds in question, necessary to “close the gap” between old and new EU member states, are as follows: Regional Development Fund (RDF), European Social Fund (ESF) and Cohesion Fund. The RDF “contributes to the funding of investments in production that contribute to the creation and maintenance of permanent jobs”; the ESF “helps to realise EU priorities concerning the reinforcement of economic and social cohesion, by improving employment opportunities”. Lastly, the Cohesion Fund supplements the other EU funds for regional development, in the field of the environment and transport infrastructures “to promote socio-economic cohesion and solidarity among member states”. IRANIAN RESISTANCE. Lastly, on the margins of the debate in the European Parliament, a meeting was organized by some political groups with MARYAM RAJAVI , who had headed (since 1993) the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a movement of resistance to the regime in Teheran. Rajavi explained the reasons and aims of the Iranian democratic organizations in exile: “The regime of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is violent, repressive, dangerous inside the country and a threat for the whole world”. Rajavi told of the tortures inflicted on opponents of the regime, and also the uprisings of students and demonstrations in various cities in Iran. “There is no hope of achieving change under the mullahs. And even the negotiations that the EU and the international community have begun with the Iranian government to halt its nuclear experiments are futile. The only hope remains a radical change in the political leadership. Iran must return to democracy, before it can aim at peaceful co-existence and material development”.