A strong and resolute “yes”

“We must build a true European citizenship”: was the message launched on October 31 by Jacques Barrot, European Commission vice-president and Commissioner for justice, freedom and security, at the lectio magistralis held at the “Fondazione del Duomo di Mestre” in Venice. To the question whether it is still important today, in the age of globalization, to speak of the specific EU values forged by our founding fathers, Barrot answered with a strong and resolute yes. A “true European citizenship”. The European message of a “possible reconciliation ” inspires “other supranational communities about to be created like the African Union, Mercosur or Asean”, the Commissioner pointed out. “To be more influential in an era of globalization, however, Europe must speak with one voice”. Thus “we must strengthen our feeling of belonging to a single community. We must build a true European citizenship.” “In order to achieve this, each European citizen must live a protected, committed and joint citizenship without borders.” Barrot explains how Schengen “erased some barriers, but not all intangible ones”. To completely bring them down we must foster the study of languages and relaunch Erasmus and Leonardo programmes: “language knowledge and European curricula are the bases of a truly European labour market.” “Compatibility of unemployment subsides ” and “transfer of pension rights” are other steps in the same direction. Rule of law, freedom and security. “We can really talk of a citizenship without borders when we will create a real Community Law”, the EU Commission vice-president added. “This is one of the Stockholm Programme 2010-2014 main goal for Europe’s justice, freedom and security, that the European Council will adopt on December 10 and 11”. “The first element of freedom is security”, he added: it is thus “necessary to strengthen police and legal justice cooperation”. To “protect the European citizen ” we must also “fight effectively against new threats such as cyber-crime, terrorism, economic and financial crime and paedophile pornography”. “In the last thirty years”, the Commissioner pointed out, “voters turnout has dropped from 63% to 43%. How can we reawaken ‘ affectio societatis for European political life?” “Everything begins at school”, but we must also learn how to communicate in a 27-country Europe. Thus, we must acknowledge the importance of media and a true European political debate, which should involve all Member States. “If this political debate were an everyday event- Barrot claims- European elections would have a different meaning”, For this reason “in view of 2014 elections, we must mobilize straight away all the citizens that will be able to express initiative rights created by the Treaty of Lisbon”. Accommodation and solidarity. “Joint citizenship” the Commission’s vice-president added, is expressed in tackling growing migration pressure. “The duty to integrate regular immigrants” – Barrot mentions the second edition of the European Integration Forum (Brussels, November 12) and its portal – and “the duty to offer asylum”. According to the Commissioner we must “accommodate refugees without compromise and beyond cold welcomes”. There is an urgent need to “improve an outdated ten years old legislation. Recalling the different initiatives, Barrot mentioned the proposal to review asylum procedure directives adopted on October 20 by the Commissioners. Barrot hopes that in the coming months such an important issue will be addressed adequately.” “I’m also convinced- he added – that the European citizenship can be a model for international citizenship, which is coping with important issues such as planet protection, aid for peace and development”. Our action is focused on three main subject matters: respect for human rights, engraved in Community law; shared memory and common culture”. “With the Lisbon Treaty – Barrot concludes- the Charter of Fundamental Rights will be the first worldwide instrument to rule civil, economic and social rights”; complete respect for these rights “will pave the way for a shared memory on the obscure pages of our history”. Furthermore “this shared memory will grow stronger if it is rooted in our common culture’s endurable power”.