C:LH5 March 2010 | ELDR News n°5 | www.eldr.eu
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The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR Party) brings together 56 political parties with common liberal, democratic and reform ideals and is the forum for member parties to develop co-ordinated policies.
8DCI:CIH PAGE 2 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź Italy / Europe – Hope & Concern âˆź The new ELDR Bureau
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Heads of State and Government) has appointed its President and the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy who is also the Vice-President of the Commission. Former Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy is the oUVW SUHVLGHQW DQG %DURQHVV &DWKHULQH $VKWRQ WKH oUVW +LJK 5HS %RWK RI WKHP are unknown quantities to most of the European citizens. As lady Ashton is also a member of the Commission, she had to submit to a hearing in the European Parliament, exactly as the 26 other newly appointed commissioners. She has undeniable qualities and weaknesses.
PAGE 3 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź Liberals lay down their Strategic Plan 2009-2014 âˆź 2012 vs. 2020 - End of the world or new European strategy ? âˆź An EU Common Market for CO2 PAGE 4 SPECIAL # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź EU SWIFT agreement with US authorities + JOINT INTERVIEW âˆź FDP – sceptical about new European Committee to oJKW WHUURULVP âˆź ALDE Group – Parliament rejects SWIFT agreement PAGE 5 SPECIAL # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź BODY SCANNERS FEVER âˆź Body scanner âˆź The EU steps down on body scanner PAGE 6 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź Europe is our home : no visas âˆź A Liberal single market for health care is possible âˆź Liberal Health Care – Mission Possible PAGE 7 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź BEING LIBERALS – SYMBOLS & WORDS PAGE 8 # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # âˆź De Magistris and the challenge of the post Berlusconi Era âˆź Saving the EU âˆź European liberals upcoming events 2010 âˆź European liberals at the 30th ELDR Congress in Barcelona
First of all, I wish all of the ELDR member parties, their leaders and their members a happy and successful 2010. Many of you participated in our Barcelona congress which has been one of the best congresses in ELDR history : huge attendance, lively debates, lavish social occasions and hotly contested bureau elections. I stood unopposed and was re elected by more than 85 % of the voters. Eight candidates ran for the four vice-president positions. Four of the candidates would inevitably fail and be disappointed, an unpleasant but inevitable perspective. I thank all candidates
previous one with a larger and more vociferous eurosceptic segment.
Other changes are in the making. Under the name of the European External Action Service, a truly European diplomatic service must be established. This EEAS should become the embodiment of the single voice with which the Union is supposed to speak on the global scene. It is not going to be easy. Many member states, of all sizes, have long and prestigious diplomatic traditions. Some of them fear to loose those traditions. The European Parliament is impatient to imprint its mark on future EU foreign policy, forgetting that a Parliament can and European Liberals also welcome the should control foreign policy, but is not QHZ FRPPLVVLRQ RIoFLDOO\ DSSRLQWHG supposed to conduct it. for taking this risk, congratulate those on Tuesday 9 February, that counts eiwho were elected and thank those who ght liberal commissioners who hold Apart from that, turf wars are already in were not for elegantly accepting the out- important portfolios like international the making between the different institucome. As I told the congress, I want us trade, economic and monetary affairs, tions and services involved in the various to continue to work with them, as no ta- home affairs and migration, environ- aspects of foreign policy in the narrow and lent should ever be wasted, liberal ta- ment, digital agenda ; research and de- in the broad sense of the word. lent least of all. I am most thankful for velopment, youth, culture and educaWKH FRQoGHQFH SXW LQ PH DQG ZLOO GR tion, and transport. ELDR will do its utmost to help bring my utmost to further strengthen ELDR about an evolution it has long since caland its member parties. The Parliament that came out of last OHG IRU DQ HIoFLHQW DQG HIIHFWLYH (8 IRsummer’s elections is indeed quite dif- reign policy. Since the congress the EU has under- ferent from the previous one. Not only gone important changes. The Lisbon does the Parliament have much larger 7UHDW\ KDV oQDOO\ FRPH LQWR IRUFH DQG competences thanks to the new Treaty, âˆź Wn 6ccZb^Z CZnih"JniiZWgdZX` the European Council (the council of the it is also much more assertive than the :A9G EgZh^YZci
I]Z HeVc^h] EgZh^YZcXn d[ i]Z :jgdeZVc Jc^dc The most respecte d i nte r n at i o nal press has expressed all manner of reservations as Spain assumes the EU’s rotating presidency. On the three previous occasions when Spain has taken on this responsibility the reaction was altogether different. Now there is the sensation, however, that Spain, with some of the worst economic statistics in the EU, is not the member with the best credentials to lead recovery. ZLOO VWLOO EH D GLIoFXOW \HDU IRU WKH ZKROH RI (XURSH ,W LV FOHDU WKDW GLIocult decisions will have to be taken. The engines of Europe will still not be runQLQJ DW IXOO SRZHU DQG LW LV GLIoFXOW IRU tail-enders, such as Latvia or Greece, to keep up. Under these circumstances it is obvious that to lead recovery it would be better to have in the driving seat a member state that is making headway, not one who—having failed to do their duty and make the QHFHVVDU\ VDFULoFHV LQ SUHYLRXV \HDUV‹ are amongst those who are looking forward to recovery not in 2010, but in 2011... at best.
But people in the ELDR Party are interested in knowing what this process looks like from inside Spain, and to hear the Catalan view from the liberals of Convergència. It is now time to implement the institutional improvements introduced in the Lisbon Treaty. It is a task which falls in WKH oUVW LQVWDQFH WR WKH SHUPDQHQW SUHsident of the EU ; it is evident, however, that the authority of the holder of the rotating presidency could be very useful, for example, to put into practice the new system of decision-making or to put the European External Action Service into operation. It is our view that Spain should also confront this presidency by promoting governance based on respect for diversity. At the outset, Spain should have presented itself before Europe showing all of its cultural, national and linguistic diversity. In Convergència, and indeed in all the Catalan political parties in general, we consider that this would be the ideal moment to take the necessary steps for Catalan—as well as Basque
and Galician—to be recognised by the European institutions. In this view, Spain ought also to strive to carry through the recommendations of the Committee of the Regions regarding the cooperation that is required between the different administrative levels. According to the new Treaty, this Committee is to become the body that monitors the principle of subsidiarity. From a Catalan point of view, and we have been stressing this point, it is above all the moment to fully implement the Union for the Mediterranean. Since 1995, when the Barcelona Process was initiated, we in Catalonia have always been pressing for Spain to promote and lead Mediterranean policy. On 7 June the second summit of the Union for the Mediterranean is to be held in Barcelona. Between now and then form must be given to the secretariat of this organisation, whose headquarters are to be in Barcelona, its statutes must be approYHG DQG DERYH DOO D YHU\ VSHFLoF SURgramme of objectives needs to be drawn up that would allow us to move towards the long-desired goal of a Mediterranean
free trade area. In this regard, Spain in my opinion has a very important role to play in concluding the framework agreements with the Maghreb countries : the advanced statute with Morocco, and the framework agreements with Libya, Tunisia and Algeria. $QG oQDOO\ WR WXUQ WR DQRWKHU VSKHUH entirely, this presidency is also the time for the Mediterranean rail freight corridor to be consolidated as a great economic and transport axis in the EU’s transEuropean network.
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