A demanding agenda

The agenda of the European Union after the summer holidays is very tight, especially because of the fire emergency that has devastated Greece, Spain and Italy and that in few weeks has killed more people that those who died in the last ten years across the member states. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. September opens with the plenary session of the European Parliament (Strasbourg, 3-6/9); in particular the agenda covers a joint discussion on “Better lawmaking within the EU”, the Toubon Report about the “review of the single market”, a joint discussion on the “dairy industry”, the submission of the 2008 EU general budget by the EU Council, the declarations of the EU Council and EU Commission on the fight against terrorism, the proposal for a Resolution on natural disasters, a poll on the Proposal for a Resolution on the breach of human rights, democracy and the constitutional state, and the Patrie Report on the Green Paper about a review of the current state of consumer protection. – Finally, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions will have a plenary session on 26th and 27th September and on 9th and 10th October, respectively (the CoR plenary meeting will coincide with the “Open Days”, which from 8th to 11th October will offer over one hundred debates, events and exhibitions organised by the European Regions). INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE. The Inter-Governmental Conference (IGC), opened last 23rd July, reopens with the assignment, given it by the European Council, to draw up, before the end of the year, a new Treaty for the Reform of Europe, approved and ratified before the election for the new European Parliament in June 2009. After finally shelving the ambitious plan for a EU Constitutional Treaty drawn up by the Convention chaired by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the government delegates have planned to have weekly meetings in Brussels and Lisbon to improve the current treaties in four key areas: a more democratic and open EU; a more effective EU; more rights and values to the Europeans; more widespread presence on the world scene. The Portuguese presidency aims at submitting a final project for the Treaty during the next Summit of the Heads of state and government on 18th and 19th October. The other three priorities of the Lisbon Government concern the new European strategy for employment and growth, migration policies and the extension of the Schengen area, relations with Africa and South-America. CONFERENCES, FORUMS, WORKSHOPS, COMMITTEES. Many are the noteworthy meetings that will take place over the next few weeks: the workshop on the relation between the EU and Africa (13/9); the High-Level Conference on legal immigration (14/9); the Conference on Flexicurity (14/9); the EU/Ukraine summit (14/9); the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial conference of the Ecofin ministers (15/9); the first Forum on social services of general interest (17/9); the European Mobility Week (17-22/9); the Conference on the assessment of public policies on narcotics (20/9); the launch of the Interreg IV initiative for interregional and across-the-border cooperation (20-21/9); the Workshop on alternatives to prison sentences (25/9); the Interregional Conference on energy efficiency (25/9); the Cultural Forum for Europe (26/9). Finally, the EU Commission will give its Economic Estimates on the 2007 GDP and inflation on Tuesday 11th September. THE EU AND THE NEW PRESIDENT OF TURKEY. “Congratulations for your election as President the Republic of Turkey. I am sure you will fulfil your task with a strong sense of duty and commitment for your country and your population”. On August 28th, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, sent a message to the new President of Turkey, Abdullah Gul. Barroso added: “Over the last five months, political life in Turkey has focussed on the local-government and general elections. Now a new government will take power and will have to be able to resume work with clear support from the population”. This will be “an opportunity to give a new, fresh and positive boost to Turkey’s approach to the EU”, with further progress “in a wide number of key sectors”: the EU is conducting negotiations with Ankara, especially in the areas of economy, fundamental rights and foreign policies (the Cyprus issue). In addition, René van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, spoke from Strasbourg to congratulate Abdullah Gul. “I am really glad about the election of our former colleague Abdullah Gul – writes the Dutch politician -. He is a modern reformer and I am sure he will be a president for all Turks”. Gul “is well versed in European and international affairs and I am sure he will take his country closer to the EU”.