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[ cerca in archivio ] ARCHIVIO STORICO RADICALE
Archivio interventi PE
Malone Bernie - 28 settembre 1994
MEP*MPE - Malone (PSE), in writing

The European Union is a complex and unique structure. It corresponds to no other structure, either at the national or the international level. For this reason, it is difficult for ordinary citizens to distinguish between the main institutions, to make sense of the various legislative procedures, and to understand the rationale behind the different seats of work.

The distance that has developed between the ordinary citizen and "Europe" has recently come to the fore. This gap clearly indicates that the intergovernmental negotiation which have forged Europe since its inception will no longer work.

However, I believe that the recent CDU/CSU position paper in Germany which advocates a "two-speed Europe", can only add to the alienation of ordinary citizens and, with the preparations for the 1996 intergovernmental conference already underway, could lead to a worsening rather than a lessening of the "democratic deficit". The hard-won gains of the European Parliament to democratise the European Union could be clawed back.

The CDU/CSU document also makes the grave political error of predicting the membership of a future core unit. At present, only Luxembourg and Ireland could meet the convergence criteria for stage two of EMU. I note only one of these was included in the CDU/CSU list!

Finally, the CDU/CSU document also calls for the emergence of the European Union as a "third world power", to be achieved by the immediate accession of some Eastern European countries and the development of a common foreign and security policy. However, it believes this could not be done whilst maintaining present structural and social policies. It therefore advocates their suspension. The CDU/CSU paper is really a disguised call for a rich man's Europe.

Though I disagree strongly with the CDU/CSU paper, I welcome the opportunity it has given to debate the future of the European Union. Important decisions will be taken over the next two years. These should be preceded by the fullest possible public debate.

 
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