From Salonica to Rome” “” “

The Summit of Heads of State and Government of the European Union (Salonica, 19–21 June 2003) was able to resolve positively all items on the order of the day, even finding space to relaunch the Lisbon Strategy on economic growth and employment. European Constitution. The 25 accepted the projected Constitutional Treaty presented by the President of the Convention, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. The Council gave the forthcoming Italian presidency of the Union the mandate to convene an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) before the middle of October, and to finish the work , if possible, before the end of the year. The European Constitution should be signed by the 25 before the European elections of 2004. In any event, the signing will take place in Rome. Immigration and asylum. After four years of preparatory work, a common European policy on asylum and immigration has come into being. The creation of an ad hoc fund of at least 140 million euros will enable, among other things, development of a visa information system (VIS); joint control of the Union’s external frontiers and an equal division of the financial burden among member States; strengthening of co-operation with countries at the origin of migratory movements; repatriation of illegal immigrants, and development of integration policies for legal immigrants. There will also be a common European procedure in granting asylum and refugee status. Widening the Union. The summit expressed satisfaction at the positive outcome of the referenda on joining the Union held in Malta, Slovenia, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic, and confirmed the date of 2007 as the objective for the entry of Bulgaria and Romania. There was also support for Turkey’s efforts to adapt to the acquis communautaire, with a view to the summit of December 2004 which could decide a date for the beginning of negotiations with Ankara. It is expected that the five western Balkan States will also follow the road to full membership. Lisbon strategy. New guidelines for economic policy and employment were approved, an important step in making up for the considerable delay in applying the measures defined in Lisbon in 1999. Foreign relations. There was agreement on the need to improve and strengthen relations with the Arab world, the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, EU-USA relations, the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the situation in the Middle East which calls for pressure both on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to respect the plan for peace and the cease-fire, the rebuilding of Iraq, and the political and humanitarian situation in Burma, East Timor, Cuba and Central Africa. There was also an expression of commitment against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Security During the course of the European Council of Salonica, Javier Solana, Secretary General of the Council and High Representative of the EU for common foreign and security policy, presented a report on European security entitled “a secure Europe in a better world”. The final report will be adopted at the Naples Summit in December and will represent the birth of a European security strategy. The main threats, according to the report, are regional conflict, world poverty, international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the break-down of States and organised crime. Three strategic objectives must be pursued: extending the security zone surrounding Europe, strengthening the international order and contrasting threats. Moreover, according to the report, the EU – as a consequence of the creation of a common foreign and security policy – is called to be more active by giving greater funds to defence, by making better use of civil resources in crisis and post-crisis situations, and by strengthening European diplomatic strength.