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Emerging contours of a new Europe EUROPEAN Union leaders meet in Rome this weekend to kickstart crucial negotiations on a new constitution for the rapidly-expanding bloc. The summit should be over in a day. But acrimonious in-fighting among governments in the soon-to-be 25 nation EU will last for months. The upcoming quarrels — pitting rich nation against poor, big against small, and religious against secular — will probably seem Byzantine to EU watchers in Asia and elsewhere. But make no mistake: the feuding is an indication of a deeper malaise among many EU policymakers and the 10 countries poised to enter the Union. And the results of the bruising battles will determine the shape and ambitions of the EU for decades to come. Despite the pro-expansion rhetoric, EU enlargement remains a leap into the unknown for most European policymakers. There are fears that the EU will become unwieldy and diluted, that the newcomers are joining the bloc for pecuniary rather than ideological reasons and that instead of advancing collectively, the EU will split into smaller groups, each progressing in different areas at a different pace. Future EU states, meanwhile, are worried about being bullied by the bigger nations. The argument for a new treaty, however, is simple enough: the EU needs to fix new rules and regulations allowing 25, and perhaps more, members to work together and take decisions quickly and effectively. An attempt to establish fresh ground rules for an expanded EU was made in 1999 in the French luxury seaside resort of Nice. But that treaty is already hopelessly out of date. With enlargement around the corner in May 2004, the pressure is on to clinch a new constitutional deal giving the EU the means to become a global player. If only it were that easy. While all existing and future EU members agree on the goals of their union, EU policymakers are braced for tough inter-governmental horse-trading on various aspects of the constitution. In fact, much to the dismay of many, the war for influence and prestige has already begun. Germany, France, Italy and Britain are adamant that a draft treaty hammered out by former French president Valery Giscard d’Estaing this summer should form the basis of the new EU constitution. Giscard’s document took 16 months of painstaking negotiations within a 105-member “people’s convention” to complete and the EU “big four” — which got what they wanted in most areas in the draft — are determined not to allow an unravelling of past compromises. The majority of smaller nations, including not-so-small Spain and Poland, are fighting hard to secure changes in Giscard’s text. Caught as it often is between a rock and a hard place, the European Commission is struggling to get some key improvements in the draft without opening up the entire document for debate. The list of contentious issues is long and daunting. Briefly, smaller nations are opposed to plans for a pared-down European Commission of only 15 members, arguing that each country should be able to send a commissioner to Brussels. Poland and Spain are fighting against plans to change the system of voting rights which they say would reduce their clout in an expanded union. Both countries also want the preamble of the new constitution to make a reference to Europe’s Christian values and traditions. There are also disagreements on the role and status of the first EU foreign minister set to be appointed by governments once the treaty is over, and the European Commission is struggling to ensure that a new council president — who will preside over EU summits — will not become a rival of the commission president. Disagreements also persist on whether countries which want to forge an EU defence and security policy, independent of the US-led Nato, should be allowed to work together without waiting for others in the bloc to join the drive. The commission, meanwhile, is adamant that the use of veto powers in an expanded EU must be curtailed. If unanimity remains the name of the game in most sectors (as currently), EU decision-making will grind to a halt, warns commission chief Romano Prodi. And with it, EU hopes of taking swift action. Last but not least, it’s still not clear just how long the constitutional conference will last. Italy as current president of the EU is insisting that negotiations must be completed by mid-December so that the treaty can be translated into 21 languages and then ratified by 25 parliaments. With enlargement set for May 1, 2004, say Italian officials, this makes it imperative that discussions are over by end-year. But smaller nations oppose any mere rubber-stamping exercise and insist that deadlines can be altered and that all issues should be up for discussion during the next few months. Keeping track of EU developments over the next few months will not be easy. But while most of Europe’s foreign partners can afford to gloss over the details, they must make a point of keeping their eye on the bigger picture — and the contours of a new and expanded Europe. Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)
