A question of method

It is a question of “substance” and equally, a question of “method”. When faced with important and delicate decisions, that regard the response to the economic crisis and the planning of sustainable growth, which involves the citizens’ lives, “governments cannot decide on their own”. “Ours is a definitive no to the re-nationalization of Community decisions”. In view of the European Council in Brussels next June 17, the four major EP political groups voiced their stand and addressed a “clear sign” to EU27. The People’s Party, Socialists and Democrats, Liberal-Democrats and the Green Party for once agree: “Without the EU Parliament, representing 500 million citizens, the EU cannot progress”.The moment of the truth. “We must stop doing what we did in the past, namely on an intergovernmental level, and give full importance to the Community method. It is only at the European level that we can make useful and efficient decisions for our countries” French MEP Joseph Daul, from the EPP group at the European Parliament is the first to voice the MEP’s “protest”. From Strasbourg, where the Assembly gathered for a regular sitting on June 14-17, Daul conveyed the stand of the major EP parties. He recalled that the four main party groups, representing 75% of all MEPs, co-signed two important Resolutions on European Governance and on the EU2020 Strategy. “Despite our political differences”, he said, “my colleagues and I want to give a clear sign of unity in view of the Heads of Government and State Summit”. “This is the moment of truth for Europe”, Daul declared. Progress cannot be achieved with the governments’ decisions alone without the contribution of Parliament and Commission. Assembly debate on the subject will precede the adoption of resolutions due to be submitted to the premiers during the summit in Brussels.Citizens, not subjects. “Every three months powerful European leaders hold closed-door meetings and then they tell citizens, or rather, the subjects, that they were unable to come to an agreement. We want a proactive European Council. But for this to happen, and in the respect of the Lisbon Treaty, a close cooperation between the Council, Parliament and Commission is needed”. Martin Schulz, German leader of the Socialists and Democrats at the European Parliament speaks loud and clear. “It’s an exceptional moment for Europe. EP parties have understood it, but what about the premiers? The Council undertook the wrong path, and the French-German domination on the EU is also wrong”. Schulz referred to “the directorate set up by Paris and Berlin”, which in his view is proved by the meeting between German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy earlier this week. For example, Schulz believes that the Member States boycotted the previous Lisbon Strategy for economic development and fears that the same may happen for the new Europe 2020 strategy which the Council will discuss June 17.Community method. Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt from the Liberal and Democrats Alliance focused on the two resolutions, marked by a number of operative proposals which envisage joint “economic governance”, strengthened Growth and Stability Pact, “monitoring specific commitments” in the area of support to development, State investment notwithstanding the difficult situation of national budgets, stricter financial transaction rules, and Eurobonds promotion to recover “new funding” to be invested in the real economy. “First of all it’s a question of method”, he said. “It’s important to understand whether the States wish to create a large European economic market that can play a primary role” at global level, under the direction of “political Community institutions that can act quickly and efficiently”. “A clash is under way between the old intergovernmental approach and a modern Community method”, Verhofstadt declared.Implementing the Treaty. “We have sought and reached a compromise. Everyone has had to give something up, this is clear. But if this path isn’t followed, Europe cannot be erected”, while the decisions and measures “targeted at seriously exiting the crisis, reviving the economy and employment and protecting the environment” won’t be followed through. German MEP Rebecca Harms, voiced the position of the Greens. “The EU cannot be regulated by few voices only. Its institutions must cooperate. EU27 leaders must acknowledge the existence of a Treaty that has recently come into force and that must be respected”. Only in this way will the decisions become binding and “will convince the citizens they can trust in the EU”.