Sarkozy says 'reflection group' will discuss EU borders

HONOR MAHONY, MARK BEUNDERMAN AND RENATA GOLDIROVA

14.12.2007 @ 18:57 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - French president Nicolas Sarkozy has said that a committee set up to examine forthcoming EU challenges will discuss the future borders of the bloc, despite its mandate having been watered down expressly to avoid this sensitive topic.

Speaking after a meeting of EU leaders, where it was formally agreed to establish the 'wise group' – the brainchild of the French president – Mr Sarkozy said that while it will not talk about "EU institutions" or "specific policies" it could talk "about a new European dream."

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This includes "the question of frontiers" he said adding "about enlargement and what consequences."

"At some point" it should be asked whether "there is a contradiction between integration and enlargement," said Mr Sarkozy, who has made no secret of his opposition to Turkey's EU membership bid.

German chancellor Angela Merkel also indicated that the group will probably end up discussing enlargement saying that "you can group anything under that category" referring to the part of the group's mandate that says it should look at ways to reach out to citizens and address their expectations and needs.

But she said it would "not affect the continuation of [Turkey's] accession talks, pointing out that ultimately it will be politicians that take decisions and not such a committee.

Mr Sarkozy's lobbying to set up the group was widely interpreted as a way of putting the brakes on Ankara's progress towards the EU.

But other member states thwarted his more ambitious aims for the discussion topics by severely limiting the mandate of the group.

EU leaders on Friday agreed that the committee will be chaired by Spain's former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez.

It will also have two vice-chairs, Latvia's former president Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Nokia's chief Jorma Ollila.

The three are to choose the remaining nine personalities during the second half of 2008, under the French EU presidency.

The timeframe was suggested by Ms Merkel in a bid to avoid the group interfering with the upcoming ratification process of the Treaty of Lisbon, formally signed off on Thursday (13 December).

One of the main concerns in the negotiations leading to the formation of the reflection committee was that it should not affect public discussion on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland.

Mr Sarkozy also alluded to this issue by saying: ""we do not want to interfere with the ratification process"

Ireland is the only member states so far to say that it will have a referendum on the document, which needs to approved by all 27 member states before it can come into force. The Irish referendum is set to take place in the early summer of 2008.

The panel is expected to report its findings in June 2010, although it should avoid discussing "the EU's finances, enlargement and institutional issues", according to deputy Czech prime minister Alexandr Vondra.

One diplomat noted, however, that the mandate also includes "likely developments outside Europe with an effect on the EU" - something that could be seen as a cover for the touchy issue of future enlargement.

The main issues to be discussed are migration, the fight against terrorism, social and economic challenges and climate change.

"I would say that the reflection group is not the top priority for the European Parliament", the EU assembly's chief Hans-Gert Poettering said, when asked about the group, adding "most people think it is not the top priority but we don't want to stand in the way of it".

"This group can't take the decision-making powers away from politicians. It can put forward proposals", he stressed.

Other names tipped for the group members include former president of the European Parliament Pat Cox as well as Austria's former chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel.