"Political parties at European level are important as a factor for integration within the Union. They contribute to forming a European awareness and to expressing the political will of the citizens of the Union": this is the text of Article 138A of the Maastricht Treaty. With the membership of the British and Danish Conservative MEPs to the Christian-democrat Group and the Italian MEPs of the PDS to the Socialist Group, two European political families have achieved their political recomposition process. With the "new" Socialist Group, strengthened to 199 MEPs, and with the "new" EPP Group, strengthened to 162 MEPs, they represent together 70% of the Assembly; with an increasing bipolarisation of the EP's political life. The parties, members of the EPP Group and of the Socialist Group, have decided to formalize the character of "European political party" of their Community families; the Liberals are going to do the same in the following months. All this means that these three families will stand for the next

European elections in 1994 with three common programmes, with three "logos" and - maybe - the exchange of candidates, if governments respect the commitment signed under the Maastricht Treaty to give Community citizens the right to stand in their own country of residence. We publish hereunder the articles of Messrs Tindemans, Prout, Cot and Colajanni, presidents respectively of the EPP, ED, Socialist and GUE Groups. In these articles they explain the reasons which led to the "mergers" concerning them. In the next "Letter", we are going to publish a comment by Mr Willy de Clercq, president of the Liberal Parties Federation. We await comments from our readers, members of national parliaments.

THE CHRISTIAN-DEMOCRAT IDENTITY...

1 May 1992, 32 British and 2 Danish MEPs, who were previously members of the European Democratic Group have become associates members of the EPP Group. With this enlargement the EPP Group goes from 128 to 162 members. The 34 British and Danish membership was carried out in accordance with the rules of the EPP, which states "the MEPs can become associate members of the group if they accept the fundamental political doctrines of the EPP Group, and if they accept this regulation". The new members have individually signed their acceptance of the regulation and the fundamental policy doctrine of the EPP action programme adopted in 1988 as well as of the final Declaration of the Dublin Congress in November 1990, which carried the title of "For a federal constitution for the European Union". The request for membership was an important event for the EPP Group, not just because it corrected the numerical imbalance between the groups in the EP, but above all as it provoked a profound examination of the identity o

f the EPP, which for historical reasons had never been represented adequately in the UK before. The EPP is happy to report on the convergence on the basis of its political programme - to which all new associate members subscribed - on both sides of the Channel. The current attraction of the EPP is due, in large part, to its clear European orientation. Born from its spirit, the policy of European integration has continued to inspire for over 40 years. The EPP family supports the transformation of the EC in a Union with federal vocation which needs simultaneously to constitute an economic, monetary, political and security Union. It goes without saying that the EPP does not renounce on its christian-democratic orientation, and in particular on its pro-European and federalist approach. In this context, it is particularly positive to note the agreement expressed as regards the Dublin Declaration in which the EPP supports the creation of a European Union in a balanced and coherent evolution. For the EPP, which

since the birth of the Community has fought for a federal Europe, built on a "sui generis'" model, but based without doubt on significant delegation of the national sovereignty, it is important to advance on all fronts without neglecting any dimension. It is undeniable that this "cohabitation", even if it may be put into question at the end of the current legislature, will have long term consequences: some of the reciprocal prejudices are disappearing and the positive aspects of the two philosophies are leading to a common approach on many points that previously divided us.

Leo Tindemans,

EPP Group President