Vol. 521 No. 3
3 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in light of the discussions at the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Azores, he will outline his views on the desirable ultimate destination of European integration. [16903/00]
From its inception as the European Economic Community in 1957, with six founding members, the European Union has shown a remarkable capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. Having increased throughout successive enlargements to 15 member states and seen a significant extension in Union competences following the Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties, the Union over the past decade has faced the task of responding to unprecedented change in central and eastern Europe. The Union has responded to these challenges with an imaginative strategy for enlargement, and a vigorous programme of internal reform.
The imperative now is to complete the transformation already under way, through the series of accession negotiations now in train with 12 countries and the process of adapting the Union's institutions to meet the demands of enlargement, through the work of the Intergovernmental Conference. The House will be aware that the Intergovernmental Conference is tackling a number of the key institutional issues left unresolved from Amsterdam, and the outcome will have an important bearing on the functioning of the Union well into the future. In this regard, I have emphasised repeatedly the importance we attach to ensuring that the balances which underpin the Union are fully maintained.
As is evident from recent statements by the German Foreign Minister, Mr. Fischer, President Chirac, and others, the central issue for the European Union at the moment is whether it can broaden and deepen at the same time. For our part, we are committed to enlargement on the basis agreed at Helsinki, and through our participation in EMU have shown ourselves ready to go down the road of deepening the Union. However, the concept of further deepening will require clear analysis of what is meant. In this regard, the concept of flexibility, or enhanced co-operation, has captured considerable attention of late. We are ready to consider proposals in this area, but will want to be assured that extending its use is in the best interests of the Union as a whole, and that adequate safeguards are in place to guard against fragmentation, for example, in regard to the Single Market. In raising these concerns, and pointing to the need for greater clarity in the debate, we are simply seeking to ensure that decisions are taken which will serve to maintain the coherence of the Union now and in the future.
The organic character of the European Union ensures that it will continue, as it has done in the past, to adapt to changing circumstances. As a Union of states and of peoples, it is required to respond to the wishes of the Governments and the citizens which make up the Union, to preserve both its credibility and its democratic legitimacy. While it is not possible, therefore, or, perhaps, even desirable, to pre-empt decisions which may be taken in the future on the further development of the Union, the essential point is that it should continue to build on the solid foundations already in place.
Will the Minister indicate if the meeting in the Azores gave any consideration to the external borders of the EU? How far will the Union integrate? We have talked in the past about broadening as well as deepening. How broad will the Union become? Will Turkey be included? What is to be the relationship with Russia, which is European as far as the Urals?
On the question of integration and the balances referred to by the Minister, does he believe a case could be made for having a directly elected President of the EU Commission, with Commissioners being picked from those Members elected to the European Parliament? Has any consideration been given to that of late?
Given that 60 million Europeans lost their lives in the first half of the last century, would he agreed that the integration and expansion of the Union is a vital part of the process of ensuring peace and stability on the continent of Europe?
The present enlargement process, as envisaged by the Helsinki conclusions, gives an indication of the outer reaches of the Union. What one would be talking about subsequent to that regarding the central Asian republics and Russia would be association agreements, for example, a relationship with recognises the interdependency of trade in that region in the outer periphery of the EU with those then neighbouring countries, but obviously one does not envisage the EU expanding much beyond what is now envisaged in terms of its effectiveness and decision-making capacity and the ability to maintain coherence.
As the Deputy will be aware, Turkey is being allowed proceed with providing us with the basic adherence to the Copenhagen criteria in terms of democratisation, human rights, etc., and that is to be welcomed. Obviously, Turkey is in a slightly different position than other applicant countries which are more advanced in that respect.
On the question of further directly elected representatives within the Commission structure as part of one of the institutions of the EU and the prospect of parliamentarians becoming Commissioners, of course under the present treaties existing parliamentarians are not disbarred from becoming Commissioners, but the Intergovernmental Conference agenda to be completed at the Nice Summit at the end of this year is a reasonably restricted agenda. It is restricted because what are known as the "Amsterdam leftovers". Questions of the extent to which qualified majority voting is to be advanced in terms of the decision-making process at the Council, the expansion of the Commission and the entitlement of each of the member states to a Commissioner, which is a majority view at this stage of the negotiations as expressed by member states, and the re-weighting of votes, are issues which require the full concentration of the member states in order for us to deal successfully with this intergovernmental conference in a relatively short time of 12 months, as envisaged.
What will emerge from the Feira Summit next week is the addition of a discussion on the flexibility mechanism as part of the Intergovernmental Conference discussions to see if that can be successfully incorporated into the Nice conclusions, but the question of further institutional reform or some of the Deputy's suggestions will not form part of the present Intergovernmental Conference negotiations, and may or may not in the future.
