by Maria Koniotou
Lisbon, (CNA) – EU Heads of State or Government have begun here their consultations for the EU Reform Treaty with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the enlarged Union, as well as the coherence of its external action. Cyprus is represented at the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) and the EU Informal Summit to be concluded Friday by President Tassos Papadopoulos
The 27 EU leaders will try to reach solutions on the issues raised by a number of countries, so that the IGC can complete its work before the end of 2007 so as to allow for sufficient time to ratify the resulting Treaty before the European Parliament elections in June 2009.
One of the issues that need to be addressed is that of Poland that wants to insert in the treaty a provision that countries short of a blocking minority may delay an EU decision for several months. Others want to keep this so-called Ioannina Compromise outside the main body of the Treaty to make it easier to change.
Among other issues raised is also that of Italy that objects to losing parity with France and Britain under a redistribution of European Parliament seats to reflect population changes, while Austria wants to be able to set quotas for foreign students because its universities and medical colleges are flooded by Germans.
The treaty creates a full-time president of the European Council of EU leaders, a stronger foreign policy chief with a foreign service, a streamlined voting system based on population size and more say for the European and national parliaments.
Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs Erato Kozakou Marcoullis has expressed Cyprus’ support to reaching an agreement as regards the Treaty, noting that she will try to facilitate any compromising solutions.
After this day’s working session, the EU leaders will have their family photo taken. This will be followed by their working dinner in the presence of the President of the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission and the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs will also have a working dinner during which they are expected to discuss the Middle East, Lebanon, the issue of Turkey and Iraq, Myanmar and Carla del Ponte’s report on Serbia.
In the framework of the Informal Summit, the President of the European Commission will give a presentation, based on the document ”The European interest: Succeeding in the age of globalisation”. Discussions will focus on the financial markets and the political response to the turbulence in the sub-prime mortgage market and climate change.
