Barroso speech on results of EC meeting June 21-23

European Parliament Plenary
Brussels, 27 June 2007

The success of the twin-track approach

Let me step back from the events of the last week and look back over the last two years.

Just over a year ago the Commission adopted an approach which I called the twin track approach. The first track was for the EU to use the existing Treaties more effectively to deliver results for Europe‘s citizens. This we have done, for example through our package of measures on energy and climate change, through our focus on innovation, through our drive against red tape, through legislation which delivers benefits for consumers – such as on roaming. I want to thank this House for its support on many of these initiatives.

The second track was to return to the process of Treaty reform. The first step was the Berlin Declaration and we concluded the second step last Friday.

In short, what the Commission has proposed is what has happened. Why? Because the twin track approach is the right approach. Governments and citizens have the confidence to tackle institutional issues if they have the confidence in the institutions to deliver on their concerns; growth and jobs, and also the new agenda – such as energy, climate change and security. The recent Eurobarometer is encouraging: the support for EU membership and the perceived benefits of membership have considerably improved during the last two years. And 69% of Europeans say they are fairly optimistic with regards to the future of the European Union.

Results of the European Council

Let me be very frank: the results of the European Council are excellent. Today, in this House, it is the moment to stress this point. We started from a division between 18 Member States that had ratified the Constitutional Treaty and 9 Member States that had not ratified. We have now all 27 Member States united around a common mandate for a Reform Treaty. The fact that we managed an agreement is already an outstanding political result and we should be grateful for the willingness of all governments to compromise. Now, we should look forward to the ratification process in 2008-09 as a great moment of solidarity and unity in Europe, and as a historical opportunity to consolidate the enlarged European Union.

At the same time, the advances from the Nice Treaty will guarantee a Union with a greater capacity to act, to deliver results.

a) EU’s capacity to act

Before the European Council, I said that the need to reinforce the European Union’s capacity to act is a crucial reason to defend a new Treaty. The Reform Treaty will bring important advances to the Union and will reinforce its ability to act. First of all, the Union will be fully consolidated by overcoming the pillar structure and by acquiring single personality.

Then, I would like to stress, in particular, three areas:

First, the most substantial advances are in the area of justice and home affairs. The more than 40 new cases of Qualified Majority Voting in the Reform Treaty include external borders control, asylum, immigration, criminal law and police cooperation. The Treaty will also fully integrate these areas in the Community method of decision-making. It is, in fact, the communitarisation of the Third Pillar. This is a fundamental reform, which will create a true space of freedom, security and justice in Europe, and it will be a priority for the rest of the mandate of this Commission. The Union needs the efficiency which more QMV brings. It is no use having the right policies if they are agreed years too late.

Second, the Reform Treaty will offer new possibilities and reinforced legal bases to deal with the challenges of energy policy and climate change. In particular, the Commission is very pleased with the solidarity clause on energy security, and the agreement to add combating climate change to the Treaty. Energy security and climate change are now core priorities for the Union: it is right that this is reflected in the Treaties.

Third, the Reform Treaty will reinforce the Union‘s cohesion in external affairs. In the 21st world, it is only by combining the forces of our Member States and of our institutions that we can compete with other leading great powers. Our prosperity, our freedom, and our security depend on the capacity to compete at the global level. Europe will, increasingly, speak with one voice in diplomatic, security and defence issues, in trade, in humanitarian aid, and in development, and as such will be better equipped to defend our values and interests in world politics. We will have the conditions and the instruments to shape globalization, and we cannot miss such a historical opportunity.

b) More accountability and democratic legitimacy

With the Reform Treaty, the Union will also reinforce its accountability and its democratic legitimacy. Again, let me emphasise three cases of clear improvement, compared to the Nice Treaty.

First, the European Parliament will have greater participation in the legislative process of the Union, by an increase in co-decision procedures. With the new Treaty, the vast majority of European laws will be adopted jointly by the European Parliament and by the Council.

Second, national parliaments will be more involved in the workings of the Union. The new Treaty will amend the protocol on subsidiarity and proportionality. This Commission has always welcomed a greater role of national parliaments. However, the Commission also made clear that involving national parliaments in the control of subsidiarity should not undermine the essentials of how the EU works. First, any new procedure on subsidiarity would have to respect the Community method and the right of initiative of the Commission. Secondly, the European Parliament and the Council should be on an equal footing. Finally, the thresholds regarding majorities should rise to reflect the importance of the procedure. We managed to secure all our demands and as such to preserve the institutional balance of the Union, while reinforcing the control of subsidiarity.

Third, the Reform Treaty will give legal force to the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The fact that the Charter is legally binding is a powerful symbol of the strong ties between the Union and European citizens. The Charter will be a safeguard both for European citizens and for national institutions, and will be a central part of the system of checks and balances in our Union of law.

The preservation of the acquis in the Single Market.

I have always said that a step back from the existing “acquis” would be unacceptable. This is particularly important in respect of the Single Market. The results of the European Council were entirely positive from the Commission perspective. The protocols on services of general interest and on internal market and competition, both proposed by the Commission, guarantee a fair and undistorted functioning of the Single Market, while respecting legitimate concerns of some Member States.

Before concluding, let me warn against the temptation of a “perverse alliance” between those who resist to a political Europe and those who oppose the Single Market.

To those who support an open and a global Europe, I say that they will only get it if they support political integration. Without political power, Europe will never influence globalization.

And to those who want a strong political Europe, I say that they will only get it if they support the Single Market and economic integration. We cannot defend the European project by attacking the Single Market.

The way ahead

After the success of the European Council, we have two crucial stages ahead. First, we need to finalise the IGC and to sign the Reform Treaty. The IGC will start next month and the Portuguese Presidency aims to conclude in October. I fully support this. Then, Member States need to ratify the Treaty. Meanwhile, we need to explain the European public why this Treaty will be a necessary and positive step forward. Such a narrative will be a central part of the Commission opinion ahead of the IGC. I also know that this House is already working hard on its opinion. I certainly hope that the European Parliament and the Commission can continue to work closely on spreading the message that this reform is indispensable to meet the challenges of the 21st century and to deliver better results to European citizens: the real winners of the Reform Treaty.