2004, a key year” “” “

Twelve intensive months. The six months’ Irish Presidency of the European Council began on 1 January 2004. It will be followed by that of Holland in July. There are several important deadlines in the months ahead, beginning with the momentous date of 1st May when the Union will extend its frontiers by taking on board ten new member states: Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Malta. The elections for the new Parliament in Strasbourg will be held between 10 and 13 June; the number of MEPs will rise from 626 to 732 as a result of enlargement. The last summit of heads of state and of government held in the Belgian capital gave a mandate to the Irish Presidency to report to the Council in March on the chances of reviving the stalled negotiations on the drafting of the EU Constitution. Dublin’s programme for its semester, published in recent days, includes the EU’s financial programme for 2007-2013, the re-launch of economic competitiveness according to the “Lisbon strategy”, the start of negotiations for the entry into the Community of Romania and Bulgaria, and a preliminary sounding to choose a successor to Romano Prodi as head of the Commission beginning on 1st November. Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, on assuming the reins of the EU, declared: “The 25 states must move together, that’s the only way in which Europe can go forward”. Regarding the resumption of the work on the constitutional Treaty he added: “Time needs to be given to reflection”. On the same wavelength is Irish premier Bertie Ahern, who declared his opposition to a “two speed” Europe, arguing “it would create disparities and divergences that would certainly not be good for Europeans”. Problems not lacking. But in the European scenario of the new year the problems cannot be underestimated. First, there are the real threats directed against EU representatives and institutions: not least the recent spate of letter-bombs – fortunately without serious consequences – directed against the President of the Commission himself, the President of the European Central Bank Jean Claude Trichet and the institutional seats of the European Parliament and Brussels, as well as Europol and Eurojust; a worrying series of “warnings” that have touched the cities of Bologna, Frankfurt and The Hague and that have projected onto the institutional capitals of the Union the sombre shadow of international terrorism. Other problems are casting in doubt the common future, beginning with growing euroscepticism, fuelled by the failure of the intergovernmental Conference; it could in turn fuel growing abstention at the forthcoming European elections, or reward parliamentary lists and parties that are politically lukewarm, if not actually hostile, to the prospect of closer integration. These eurosceptical tendencies are linked to the distance that is still perceived between citizens and institutions of the EU, often accused of being ineffective in tackling such daily problems as unemployment, the improvement of living standards, internal security and international peace. Some certainties and major objectives. But the positive aspects of this scenario also need to be pointed out. They enable us to look to the future with some confidence. The irreversibility of the process of integration, in spite of the temporary setback of the failure of the summit in Brussels, is confirmed in the will expressed by Council, Parliament and Commission to give a Constitution to the future Union. Equally important is the continuity ensured to Europe by the three institutions and the much-vituperated European bureaucracy. Encouraging signs are also emerging from the macroeconomic data that indicate, in addition to the success of the euro, a revival of the business cycle which could have indirect effects on employment levels. Of quite another kind, but also not to be underestimated, are the signals coming from European society: culture is being confirmed as a decisive tool for the rapprochement of peoples. Sport is helping to bring people of all ages closer together, and in this European year for education through sport it will transcend national frontiers and help forge bonds between the continent’s youth. Interreligious dialogue too may help build a “common home” founded on universally shared human values. The enlargement of the frontiers requires in short the simultaneous deepening of European roots and objectives: the “quantity” and “quality” of EU development must proceed pari passu.