21/01/2000 (Agence Europe)

On the afternoon of 19 January, the bureau of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, the political group coordinators, the two rapporteurs on the IGC (Nea Demokratia Member Georgios Dimitrakopoulos and German Social Democrat Jo Leinen) and Parliament's two representatives at the IGC (German Christian Democrat Elmar Brok and Greek Socialist Dimitris Tsatsos) discussed the European Parliament's attitude to the opinion it must issue (required by the Treaty) on convening of the Intergovernmental Conference on institutional reform.

Speaking to journalists, Mr Dimitrakopoulos said that he and Mr Leinen, as rapporteurs, are proposing that this issue be put to the vote on 14 February, i.e. the date of the opening of the next plenary session in Strasbourg (which would enable the Conference to get under way on 15 February, see above), but did not rule out that the possibility of a vote at the plenary on 2 and 3 February in Brussels. This opinion will be matched with a rather brief resolution outlining the subjects the European Parliament believes should be added to the IGC agenda. Mr Dimitrakopoulos said Parliament wants to avoid presenting a "shopping list" to the Council, but that its two rapporteurs would like this agenda to include, in addition to the Amsterdam "leftovers", the following issues: a) the relation between developments in European security and defence policy and the IGC (this policy must have an appropriate institutional framework); b) questions relating to economic and monetary developments (in this context were discussed

the European Parliament's role in such matters, the statute of the ECB and the European "economic government"); c) enhanced cooperation; d) inclusion in the Treaty of a "mechanism for citizens" ("We want the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the future Treaty and we also want provisions making the Treaty more readable", said Mr Dimitrakopoulos, who nonetheless added that the conference would probably not go as far as dividing the Treaty into two parts, one on fundamental principles and the other on EU policies).

The question of the date on which Parliament will issue its opinion must also be discussed by the political groups. Moreover, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs will meet on 26 January, after the meeting of the enlarged Conference of Presidents that same afternoon, during which the European Commission will present its detailed report on the Intergovermental Conference. The Committee on Constitutional Affairs has held an exchange of views on this subject with the Commissioner in charge of institutional reform, Michel Barnier.

On the fringe of the Strasbourg plenary session, there was also an exchange of views between members of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Council Presidency, represented by Mr Gama and Mr Seixas da Costa, who will chair the preparatory group.

Dupuis ironises over the "Battle of the Titans" over Parliament's opinion

Olivier Dupuis, elected on the Bonino list and Secretary of the Radical Party, observed that the struggle is still in progress between Members of the EP who would like Parliament to issue its opinion (a consultative opinion, foreseen by Article 48 of the Treaty, explained Mr Dupuis) at the Brussels mini-session on 2 and 3 February and those "bold Members" who would like to postpone the vote on this opinion until the session to be held from 14 to 18 February in Strasbourg. Should the latter prevail, this move, "an unprecedented event of rare temerity", would oblige the Council to postpone the start of the IGC by one day, ironised Mr Dupuis, denouncing Parliament's "total amnesia" over the largely negative assessments most of the political groups made of the Conference mandate approved by the Helsinksi Summit. Mr Dupuis also criticised the "total suppression" of the possibility for Parliament to issue a negative opinion on the convening of the IGC, a negative opinion that could be matched with a revision claus

e in case, "as already wished by some Member States, including the State now in the Presidency", the Council should decide to enlarge the Conference agenda, including therein the question, "fundamental in an enlarged Union", of mechanisms for Treaty revision.

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