A crucial year

The long recess for the Christmas holidays is behind us and full-time work has resumed in the offices of the EU. Next week, from 15 to 18 January, the European Parliament at Strasbourg will in particular be under the spotlight with its plenary session and the presence of EU leaders. AGREEMENT ON ALTERNATION. While the political groups represented in the EP proceeded to re-elect their own executives in recent days, as happens traditionally at the halfway point of the legislature (2004-2009), the main talking point in the corridors of the EP remains the forthcoming vote on the new President of the institution. It is still not a foregone conclusion who the next President will be, even if the “agreement on alternation” between Socialists and People’s Party, which had led to the choice of the Spaniard Josep Borell (ESP) two and a half years ago, ought not to leave much room for surprises: the German Hans-Gert Poettering (PPE) remains the favourite to win the vote and become the next President of the EP. Poettering has made no secret of his candidature in recent weeks; it is unanimously supported by his political group. THE NEW “BUREAU”. The calendar of work of next week’s parliamentary session includes, on Monday 15 January, the final speech of outgoing President Borrell and the official welcome of the new Bulgarian and Romanian delegations. Tuesday 16th will be the day of the election of the new President, of the 14 Vice-Presidents and of the ‘questors’ of the Assembly, who together will form the “bureau”. On Wednesday 17th Angela Merkel, German Chancellor and current President of the European Council, is expected to address the Assembly. She will present the programme for the six months’ German Presidency, which will especially focus on the constitutional question, on themes of energy and business competitiveness, on the Lisbon Strategy, and on relations with the USA and Russia (after her meeting with George W. Bush on 4 January, a meeting between the EU and Vladimir Putin is scheduled for 21 January). The main questions on the order of the day also include the situation of the railways in Europe and arms exports. To complete the renewal of the officeholders of the EP, the 20 commissions and the 2 sub-commissions will proceed to the election of their respective chairpersons and vice-chairpersons during the following week. NUMBER OF MEPs INCREASE. With the arrival in Strasbourg of 35 Romanian and 18 Bulgarian MEPs, the Assembly rises to a total of 784 members: at the same time the number of languages rises to 23, including Gaelic, which is spoken in Ireland, and which now becomes an “official” language of the Union. In his last interview as President of the EP, published on the website www.europarl.europa.eu, JOSEP BORRELL underlined the complexity of the institution where “the work is performed in many different languages”, and “its international dimension”. “Everything is as bit more complicated – added the Catalan politician -, because apart from the ideological dimension there also exists” a more properly national one. In recalling the “main challenges” of his term of office, Borrell stressed in particular the transition “from a Parliament of 15 member states to one of 25”, and now to 27. “The challenges were also those of major legislative themes, such as the Services Directive and that on Chemical Substances, Reach”. On the stalled situation of European integration, Borrell made the point: “You cannot pass from 15 to 27 members without making the necessary adjustments. Europe is going through a crisis of dimension, legitimacy and effectiveness. Its decision-making system has not been adapted to enlargement and its slowness risks depriving it of legitimacy”. Lastly the outgoing President reflected: “The reason for the Europe of tomorrow is, in my view, a response to the globalization of the world, with such problems as energy, immigration, security, police cooperation….”. A CHALLENGING YEAR. In 2007, which has been called a “crucial year” in the life of the Union (with its task of linking the half century of past history to the future of integration), the Parliament will have a particular role to play, on various levels: first, on the level of new legislation, shared with the Council; second, on the level of political impulse, by acting as “motor” of reinforced integration; and third, at the level of greater democratic involvement, given that it is the only EU institution that is directly elected by citizens. Major events and issues on the calendar for the coming year include the celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding treaties of the EEC; the future of the European Constitution; the problem of climate change and, linked to this, energy supplies, which are at the centre of the European Council in the spring (in its session of December 2006 the Parliament had asked member states for a 20% improvement of energy efficiency by 2020 and a use of renewable energy sources up to 20% of the total). New legislation is awaited for roaming (international telephone tariffs), maritime safety, the reform of viticulture and the wine-producing market and the renewal of an accord of cooperation with Russia.