A burning issue

“Europe is at a decisive turning point. If we act with determination immediately, we will have the opportunity effectively to tackle the dangers of climate change”, said ANGELA MERKEL , German Chancellor and current President of the EU Council, on the eve of the EU summit. At their regular spring summit on 8-9 March, carefully prepared by Mrs Merkel, the leaders of the 27 will discuss environmental problems, energy security and the Lisbon Strategy. THE ENERGY QUESTION ON THE TABLE . In her letter of invitation to Eu premiers and heads of state to attend the summit, Mrs Merkel explained that during the meeting she would present her “idea of the structure and content of the Berlin Declaration, which we expect to adopt, together with the President of the Commission and that of the European Parliament, on 25 March, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaties of Rome”. But Angela Merkel knows well that the most burning issue at the summit is that of energy: “Policy on climate and energy is at the centre of the European Council. We must reach an agreement that may guarantee lasting energy supplies” without ignoring the “environmental sustainability” of consumption in this sector and more generally of EU economic development. “The way in which we handle the issue – added Merkel – will have repercussions on the future of Europe and beyond its frontiers”. WHAT FUTURE FOR THE LISBON AGENDA? Another crucial problem that needs to be addressed at the summit is the willingness or not of the 27 to pursue the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy: “The reforms undertaken in this field to boost growth and employment – explains Merkel – are beginning to bear fruit. We must profit from this positive trend to pursue the modernization of Europe and her economy and prepare her to tackle the challenges that lie ahead”. The Agenda, fixed in the Portuguese capital in 2000 to make “the EU the most developed economy in the world, based on knowledge, research and quality employment”, has so far remained on paper. The progress made so far has been “limited”: indeed at the spring summit last year the member states approved a kind of watering down of the Agenda. Now the European leaders, having ascertained the delays in pursuing the Agenda, seem to be set on adopting specific measures, country by country, “in favour of employment and the reinforcement of social cohesion”. SCOPE ALSO FOR EXTERNAL POLICY ISSUES. The agenda of the summit is packed. On the afternoon of 8 March the European Council heard an address by the newly elected President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering. The first session of the debate focused on energy policy: President of the Commission José Manuel Barroso presented the specific document drawn up by the Executive in January calling for a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, a more varied policy of procuring energy resources, and support for alternative sources. In the evening EU leaders discussed transatlantic relations, “in view – explained the German Chancellor – of the EU-USA summit on 30 April”. In tandem with the summit of heads of state and of government, EU Foreign Ministers discussed the situations in Iraq, in Lebanon and in Somalia. Finance Ministers, in turn, discussed the financial aspects of energy policy, research and development. The session on Friday morning is dedicated “to the examination and adoption of the conclusions of the European Council”. INTEGRATION AND POLITICAL WILL. JOSÈ MANUEL DURAO BARROSO is playing a key role at this meeting between EU heads of state and of government. “We must not waste this historic opportunity for a cleaner Europe – he stressed -. The EU must become the leader at the world level in the fight against climate change: there is no real alternative”. He continued: “Challenges of this magnitude can only be overcome if there is the political will”. And this is the real problem that needs to be tackled. It can also be extended to the other issues that remain deadlocked at the EU level: the Constitution and the institutional reforms; the common commitment to creating a more competitive economy, also at the global level, capable of creating jobs, and at the service of greater social cohesion. And, with regard to the Berlin Declaration, Barroso hopes that it would make explicit reference to the process of enlargement, reflection on the EU identity, and the single currency. “The reunification of Europe – in the view of the head of the Executive – is one of greatest enterprises of human history”. But, beyond the rhetoric, the need remains to understand whether, after this summit, the 27 are truly determined to move ahead together. The next summit in June, when the main issue will be to define the road map for the ratification and entry into force of the Constitutional Treaty, could provide an answer to this question.