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Prime Minister Kok speaks finally out on Europe, but not on
finalities
Amsterdam, june 6 2001. Students are these days a popular audience to European politicians for going public with their views on the future of the European Union.
The Dutch prime minister Wim Kok is no exception.
On Wednesday june 6, 2001 he addressed students of the university of Leiden with a speech titled;
"The Europe of the future"
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The emphasis of the speech is on the enlargement of the Union with the eastern neighbours.
According to Kok the enlargement is "the most important strategic political decision of the Union in its existence."
So why is enlargement an imperative according to Kok?
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First of all, it is the whish of those countries.
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It brings "peace, stability and prosperity" to the continent. It is the argument with which the European Project once started.
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It finally dismantles the divide of Europe. "Enlargement is a political necessity and a moral duty."
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It will bring economic prosperity.
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It will make Europe more important in world affairs. After enlargement Europe will become an "economic, monetary and political world power."
Prime minister Kok outlines the criteria for entry into the Union.
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The most important are the political criteria of democracy, rule of law and human rights. All countries that are in the negotiation process are democracies and meet the criteria.
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The economic criteria. The entering countries must have a market economy that can integrate into the European market. In the
Commission report on enlargement of last November
the Commission prioritises the countries of entry. On top of the list are:
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Cyprus and Malta, they are the first to enter.
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Then Estonia , Hungary and Poland.
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They are followed by the Czech Republic and Slovenia.
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Bulgaria and Rumania still have a long way to go according to Kok. He did not mention Turkey as one of the candidates for entry. The Turks obviously have to wait in Koks vision.
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The third set of criteria are the hardest for the countries involved. They have to implement a lot of EU legislation. 85.000 pages of regulations in all fields of policy. That is why the transfer arrangements which are negotiated at the moment are so important.
After the ratification of the Nice Treaty the EU is ready to receive those nations in the European structures, according to Kok.
The Nice agreements also include a time scheme for the entry negotiations. The Commission drafted a
"road map" (pdf)that stretches three presidencies (Sweden, Belgium and Spain).
If the 'road map' is followed, the negotiations with the front running countries will be finished half way 2002. Prime minister Kok hopes the first entries to be possible just before the elections of the European Parlement in 2004.
It will give a "Window of Opportunity".
Although Kok is hopeful entry may come quickly it is to early to set a specific date.
The negotiations agenda is as follows
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In the first half of 2001 agreements were reached on environment and the free movement of workers.
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This fall food safety, EU borders and the transportation policies are on the agenda during the Belgium presidency.
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In the first half of 2002 the Spanish presidency has to conclude with the difficult agricultural policy and the Structural funding. It is in this period that the financial questions of enlargement have to be answered.
The Dutch government wants a change in the common agricultural policy. Import restrictions, internal state funding and export subsidies must be broken down in high speed, according to Kok.
Co- financing must be possible.
With Co- financing, the subsidizing of economic activities is partly returned to national states.
What are the implications for the Netherlands, asks Kok.
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Europe will be stronger. A continent with half a billion people can have global impact. It can handle the problems of the 21st century together more effectively.
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Europe will be multi cultural. It will give Dutch ness and Dutch culture new opportunities.
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Europe will integrate further. The Euro gives the Union a tangible identity.
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The New Europe will give new economic opportunities.
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In an enlarged Union the Dutch role will be relatively less central.
The New Europe will have to be more democratic. Decisiveness and legitimacy will have to be strengthened.
In the Treaty of Nice steps forward are being taken towards more decisiveness. It will be easier to make decisions, because less vetoing and more flexible cooperation is possible.
The present debate on the future of Europe focuses on legitimacy and democracy.
At the summit of Laeken, Belgium, in December 2001 agreement must be reached on the agenda and method of the next Inter Governmental Conference (IGC) of 2004.
According to Kok, four issues should be addressed.
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The simplifying of the founding Union treaties.
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The status of the
Charter of Fundamental Rights
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The division of competences between the member states and the Union.
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The role of national parliaments in the European architecture.
These subjects can't be seen in isolation. Together they make up the institutional balance.
To the Dutch government this process leads to a European Constitution.
The Dutch government likes to add some subjects to the IGC agenda. The international representation of the EU should be more integrated.
The Netherlands aspires one single EU seat in the Security Council of the United Nations, the G8/7 and other international organisations.
Central in the Dutch approach is the strengthening of the European Commission as the engine of integration.
The Commission will benefit from a strong democratic legitimacy, according to Kok.
The President of the Commission should be elected directly. the Commissioners should be more politically accountable towards the European Parliament.
The European Parliament will thus be strengthened. The Dutch government also aspires full budget competences of the EP, also in the agricultural policy.
The national governments do give an important impetus to the legitimacy of European policies.
The supporting role of the national governments within the integration process will in the future be indispensable.
According to Kok the Dutch approach is based on the conviction that addressing real issues and challenges give direction to the architecture of the institutional structures of the Union.
"Structures must support policy."
In the debate of the future of the Union three factors have to be observed according to Kok.
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The dynamics of a full and diverse policy agenda.
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The consequences of full agenda's for institutional structures and decision making.
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And the question what the European citizens will think of all these developments.
||PM Kok Speech
"The Europe of the future"
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European Federalist Papers
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Jospin Speech
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