” “The "group of sages" formed by the 27 member states to reflect on the future of the European integration should be chaired by the former Spanish Prime Minister, Felipe Ganzàles. It was reported by some diplomatic sources of the EU Council during the summit that is under way at the Justus Lipsius Palace in Brussels. This body should be composed of "no more than seven or eight members" and should be "elected during the Slovenian presidency", i.e. from January onwards "but no later than the summit of March 2008". "This group for reflection", explains the president of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering to the press, "is not one of our priorities". According to the German politician, the "sages" cannot "replace the politicians who have been elected by the citizens": in other words, the responsibilities for managing the integration process would fall on the Council of the heads of state and government and on Parliament, that represents the citizens and "that a long time ago started a public reflection on these issues". On opening the summit, Poettering gave a speech in front of the leaders of the member states, touching on all of the items on the agenda, including economic globalisation, the state of Kosovo, the negotiations for the future accession of Serbia to the EU. ” “
