Important decisions

Consummate French diplomacy, British fair play, Mediterranean fantasy: with these ingredients, cleverly dosed, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the EU for the second half of this year, chaired the European Council on 11-12 December, permitting Europe to take important decisions on efforts to combat climate change, and on tackling the economic crisis and the “institutional crisis”.Passing the “credibility test”. On the eve of the summit the issues on the agenda had appeared too numerous: the 27 heads of state and of government were being asked to reach agreement on environmental strategies, economic provisions, the Lisbon Treaty, external policy and common agricultural policy. The two days of negotiations managed to provide a solution to various dossiers, even if this obliged the French Presidency to mediate between sometimes opposing positions. The Council for example approved the climate/energy package, which is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 and increase by the same percentage energy efficiency and recourse to alternative (or renewable) sources. The “historic accord”, in the words of Nicolas Sarkozy, was possible thanks to various concessions made to Poland, Germany, Italy and countries in Eastern Europe, aimed especially at the protection of their national industries. Sarkozy hailed the result of the summit, while the head of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso said that “Europe has passed its credibility test” by these environmental measures, “the most ambitious ever to have been adopted anywhere in the world”. The package, after further negotiations between the three institutions of the EU (Council, Parliament, Commission), is now being submitted to the scrutiny of the European Parliament, meeting in plenary (15-18 December).Environment, gradual provisions. “Yes, you can”: President of the Commission Barroso borrowed the slogan of US President Elect Barack Obama to affirm that also the USA and other countries, if they want and have “the courage” to do so, can approve packages for environmental protection similar to that adopted by the European Council. The objectives of 20-20-20 “which we confirmed – said the head of the Executive – had been considered impossible less than a year ago. In this period we have begun and brought to a conclusion complex negotiations”, taking into account both “general and national interests”. Sarkozy added: “Now European industry will be forced to improve” its performance in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and to modernize itself, yet “the EU has not imposed unsustainable costs”. The graduality of the provisions established by the Union was appreciated by the leaders present in the Council and also by associations of industrialists. In 2010, however, a revision of the measures contained in the package is planned, in the light of the results of the Copenhagen Conference next year. The summit also gave the green light to measures to tackle the economic recession, involving a total financial commitment of some 200 billion euros comprising both national and EU budgetary allocations.Guarantees to Ireland. To reach an agreement on the Lisbon Treaty, however, the Council had to give some explicit reassurances to the Irish people and also to take a step backwards on the proposed reform of the Commission. According to this reform, the college of Commissioners was supposed to have a number of members equal to two thirds of member states in 2009. Sarkozy, however, explained that in order to obtain a willingness on Ireland’s part to hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, it had been necessary, as a quid pro quo, to guarantee to her an Irish Commissioner, thus renouncing, de facto, the reform of the Executive. Moreover, the “Conclusions of the Presidency”, the document summing up the results of the summit, states: “The European Council reaffirms that the Lisbon Treaty is necessary to contribute to a more effective, democratic and efficient functioning of the enlarged EU”. The Council further “acknowledged the concerns of the Irish people”, as presented by Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen “in terms of fiscal and family policy, social and ethical questions and European security and defence policy with regard to the traditional neutrality” of the Emerald Isle. Right to life, education, family. So the summit’s “Conclusions” list the “legal guarantees” offered to the public opinion of Ireland, summarized in three points: first, “nothing in the Lisbon Treaty – the EU insists – modifies in any way, for any member state, the scale or exercise of EU powers in the field of taxation”; second, Lisbon “does not prejudice the security and defence policy of member states, including Ireland’s policy of neutrality”; and third, the Union offers “guarantee that the provisions of the Irish Constitution relating to the right to life, to education and to the family” are not prejudiced by the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the EU annexed to the same Treaty.