European Union" "
Addresssing the plenary session of the European Parliament sitting in Strasbourg, Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar presented “Màs Europa” (cf. SirEurope no. 2/2002), the programme of the Spanish Presidency for the six months January-June 2002. Aznar declared that “the current political horizon obliges the EU to be ambitious in three directions”: first and foremost, the struggle against terrorism in the framework of the construction of a European space of freedom, security and justice; second, the creation of a zone of greater economic prosperity capable of safeguarding the European social model; and third, the conclusion of the historic process of enlargement, laying the institutional basis for the Europe of the future. While expressing satisfaction at the generally positive way in which the euro has been introduced, the Spanish premier stressed that “the solidity of our currency also demands a closer coordination of economic policies”: this involves a series of reforms, such as the reinforcement of the Major Guidelines of Economic Policy, the opening of transport and telecommunications systems, the liberalization and interconnection of the European energy market, the integration of the financial markets, the acceleration of the Strategy for Employment and the development of education and training systems. Aznar lastly pledged that “the Spanish Presidency will dedicate itself with determination to contributing to the success of the Convention for the reforms of the EU”, both as a “process of progressive ‘constitutionalization’ of the European Treaties and as a “good method for preparing the Intergovernmental Conferences”.
