Convention to conclude on two more reports
HONOR MAHONY
07.11.2002 @ 06:54 CET
Slowly but surely the Convention on the Future of Europe is working towards its ultimate goal: a consensus view - bred among it 105 delegates - on the future of Europe. It meets again on Thursday and Friday (7-8 November) to continue to debate on the skeletal outline for a future constitution submitted last week and present the final report of two more working groups, who report to the Convention on specific issues.
More or less social Europe?
It is on the issue of economic governance that the Convention's mettle will really be tested. The group's final report, considerably shorter than those of other working groups, is split on an ideological question, which goes right to the heart of a future Europe: more or less social Europe? It is also split on whether the Commission should have extra power in the area of economic governance - something for which the executive body is strongly pushing.
Unable to reach an consensus themselves, the group, chaired by German social democrat Klaus Hänsch, decided that whether to introduce more social or economic objectives "should be the subject of a plenary debate" in the Convention. In the past, the Convention president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing has appeared reluctant to let the Convention get entangled in this social question; being against even the creation of a working group specifically to deal with such issues.
Complementary competences - the Union's power's defined
The other group to submit its final report is that on complementary competences. Led by the Dane, Henning Christophersen, this group suggests the limits of the Union's powers be clearly defined in a future treaty. It also proposes that both powers shared by Union and member states and those belonging exclusively to the member states be spelled out.
Six of the ten working groups presented
By the end of this session six of the ten working groups will have reported to the Convention. So far the delegates have heard findings from the groups on subsidiarity, the role of national parliaments, the EU having a legal personality and the incorporation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights into a future Treaty.
But much of the fun is still to be had. Economic governance is not to be the only very controversial issue. Still to come is Freedom, Security and Justice, reporting at the beginning of December along with the group on Simplification of EU legislation. At the end of December, perhaps the two most difficult issues will be thrashed out: Defence and External Action.
It is on the external action issue, and how the EU will be represented in its foreign policy, that the inter-governmental and federalist views clash head on. A member state elected Council president or a foreign secretary under the Commission's control - it is on this issue that the Convention will be most divided. An outcome will depend on a compromise being reached between the UK, Spain and France - more intergovernmentalist in their outlook - and Germany (plus the smaller member states), traditionally the more community-minded.
Another draft outline
Mr Giscard plans to present another outline for a constitution in Spring 2003. This will contain more "flesh" as all of the working groups will have submitted their results. The Convention chairman already said that of the existing 414 articles in the EU treaties, around half – those referring to the Single Market and Economic and Monetary Union – could be maintained. Slight amendments are necessary for 136 articles to adapt them to the functioning of the new institutions, and 73 will have to be totally rewritten to reflect the merger into a single legal personality.
A final draft constitution is expected to be completed by summer 2003. This will then be debated by heads of state and government in an inter-governmental conference.
