the Spanish presidency” “” “

The Spanish government presented the programme for its six months’ presidency of the European Union (January-June 2002). Significantly entitled “Màs Europa” (“More Europe”), the twenty-page document outlines the main priorities and guidelines for action that premier Aznar intends to pursue to ensure that Europe “assumes the profile and role that belong to it in international relations”. Referring to the need to “consolidate the common values of freedom, democracy and human rights, for the first time shared by all Europeans without distinctions”, the programme describes six priority objectives for the government in Madrid: 1. Fight against terrorism and space of freedom, security and justice: particular attention will be dedicated to the reinforcement of the state of law within the EU and of the cooperation between the law-enforcement agencies of the member States, to the campaign against the financial dimension of international terrorism, to the international collaboration with the United Nations, the United States and the other countries of the world alliance against the terrorist network, and lastly to the completion of the Tampere process for the establishment of a space of freedom, security and justice (including the adoption of common regulations in terms of asylum, immigration and refugees); 2. Success of the Euro: the efforts of the presidency will be concentrated on ensuring an orderly transition to the new currency and effectively combating counterfeiting and fraud, on economic coordination to ensure reforms and stability, and on the relaunch of the role of the EU at the international level by enhancing the value of the Euro at the world level; 3. Impulse to the Lisbon Process: with a view to contributing to the development and consolidation of the process of modernization and liberalization of the European economy, the programme of work provides for the creation of a European space of transport and telecommunications, the reinforcement of the single market of energy through greater liberalization, access and interconnections, the establishment of a single financial market, the completion of some stages towards the achievement of the objective of full employment by 2010 and the improvement of the systems of education and training. The meeting of the European Council at Barcelona in March will be dedicated to this question; 4. Enlargement of the European Union: Madrid will monitor conformity with the economic requisites of the candidate countries, and pay attention to the definition, under the aegis of the United Nations, of the question of Cyprus and the definition of the pre-membership strategy of Turkey; 5. Foreign relations, more Europe in the world: the EU’s foreign policy must, according to the Spanish Presidency, be aimed at the consolidation of the Policy of Security and Defence (PESD), and of transatlantic relations, the improvement of the situation in Afghanistan, the reopening of the peace process in the Middle East, the relaunching of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, cooperation in development, collaboration with Latin America, and the development of relations with Russia, sub-Saharan Africa and the western Balkans; 6. Debate on the Future of Europe: the Presidency will work together with the presidium of the Convention for the institutional reforms of the EU in full respect for the calendar fixed by the European Council at Laeken, with the objective of creating the juridical and institutional conditions for a more integrated Europe and a Europe more open to the participation of citizens. G.A.G.