Regaining momentum

Faced by the challenges of economic crisis, climate change and Millennium Goals, another “difficult” week for the European Union is in store. But it’s enough to flip through the orders of the day fixed for the plenary session of the European Parliament (14-17 June) and of the European Council (17 June), as well as the agenda of the Commission, to gain a realization that finally the EU is beginning to accelerate once again after a sluggish phase lasting several phase.Meeting of leaders in Brussels. The meeting of the 27 heads of state and of government, the crucial event of the days ahead, will take place in Brussels. Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Union, has announced that the definitive version of the “Europe 2020” strategy for growth and employment will come out of the meeting. “In particular the Council will be invited to adopt under the political profile the integrated guidelines” for the strategy, “finalize the main objectives in the fields of education, social inclusion and poverty reduction”, “evaluate the progress of work in the field of the national objectives that the member states have set for themselves” and verify “work in progress to resolve the bottlenecks that are impeding growth”. In substance Van Rompuy maintains that the time has come to spell out the common commitments for a Europe that must take real action in the next decade on the economic, social, working and social inclusion fronts. This debate should also include “an exchange of views on the most effective solutions that the Union can adopt to tackle the urgent challenges of competitiveness”, “raise levels of growth” and “further reinforce the coordination of economic policies”.G20 in Toronto, UNO in New York. But the European summit will also be called to discuss other key issues (and one wonders once again how it will be possible to do so in so few hours of meeting): “The European Council will define the position of the Union for the G20 summit in Toronto” and “in particular will promote current efforts to reinforce financial regulation and vigilance inside and outside the EU”; it will then “discuss preparations for the high level plenary meeting of the UNO concerning the Millennium Development Goals” (New York, 20-22 September); the Commission for its part will outline its forthcoming Communication on climate change. The agenda will be completed by discussion on the document on the future of the European Union (“Europe 2030”) drafted by the workgroup chaired by Felipe Gonzales and the implementation of the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum.Strasbourg: Millennium Goals. MEPs, meeting instead for their plenary in Strasbourg, will be called to tackle questions relating to the summit itself, mainly through direct participation in debate with representatives of the Commission and Council: this goes for financial control, preparations for the G20 on 26-27 June, the results of the recent EU-Russia summit, and the situation of human rights in Europe and the world. But the Assembly will especially have to define its own position on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG); a debate on the matter will be held in the chamber on the basis of a report called “Progress in the achievement of the MDG”, drafted by British MEP Michael Cashman. The text (which after being subjected to the scrutiny of the EP will be transmitted to Van Rompuy) is, as usual, very complex, with scores of provisos and conditional clauses and an equal number of proposals, some very advanced and courageous, which would require a more resolute commitment of Europe in combating hunger and underdevelopment, others more debatable, especially when the document speaks of individual rights, family planning and the explicit support of abortion.Clear demands, controversial passages. According to Cashman, “the failure of the rich countries to respect” the pledges they made for the achievement of the MDG will result in constant sufferings for millions of poor people and seriously compromise trust between north and south” of the planet. In this sense the Report asks for measurable commitments by the EU and its member states in terms of funding for development, and basic coherence between EU policies and the MDG themselves. It further reaffirms the “priority goals” in the sectors of healthcare, fight against poverty, education, protection of children, and dignity of work. Some more controversial passages, on the other hand, cannot but give rise to disquiet, e.g. where the report invites “all member states and the Commission to redress the worrying reduction of funding for sexual and reproductive hygiene and connected rights in the developing countries and support policies in the field of voluntary family planning, safe abortion, treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and provision of sanitary material for reproduction consisting of life-saving drugs and contraceptives, including condoms”.