PRESS RELEASE: 23.03.07
EGP RESPONDS TO BERLIN DECLARATION
EUROPEAN GREENS PLEAD FOR A NEW democratic, social and ecological IMPETUS FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION
European Green Party spokespersons today expressed disappointment at both the process and the “simple and elegantly worded but ultimately superficial and trite ” contents of the Berlin Declaration, due to be signed on Sunday 25th March to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.
For EGP Co-SPOKESPERSON ULRIKE LUNACEK, “the weakness of the Berlin Declaration shows once again that the intergovernmental method is inadequate if real progress is to be achieved among 27 member states. Lack of transparency and any input by the people are inherent to this method.” “This must change when handling the upcoming talks on the EU Constitution. The Greens demand a new Convention with strong participation by the European Parliament, national parliaments and civil society,” Lunacek said.
ULRIKE LUNACEK went on to explain that “it is disappointing that the Declaration avoids the thorny issue of making social politics a European priority, for example by making a kind of “Social Stability Pact” when tackling the future of the Constitutional Treaty. For European Greens it is unacceptable that economic policy is determined at European level but social policy remains a purely national issue. In times of economic globalisation a way to regain the trust of the people is to focus on the social dimension. Lunacek also criticises the lack of a clear reference in the Berlin Declaration to future enlargement and to the Charter of Fundamental Rights. “The vague reference to putting the Union on a new ground until the 2009 elections opens the door for all kinds of mini solutions, without any clear engagement,” Lunacek laments.
EGP Co-SPOKESPERSON PHILIPPE LAMBERTS went on to say “As European Greens, we welcome the fact that the Declaration includes the goal of “strengthening the EU as a global player” but will continue to put pressure on the EU to follow up these noble words with specific action. We Europeans today face key challenges: climate change, social justice and economic development in a globalized economy, migration, global peace and security. We and the European governments must realize that it is only by joining forces that we will stand any chance of facing them successfully.”
“But the process that led to the Berlin Declaration as well as the most recent decisions of the EU Council, show a different mindset: what we see today are heads of State too preoccupied by the narrow-minded defence of their national interests and reluctant to recognize the added value and accomplishments of the European Union. This results in a Union utterly slow or simply incapable of taking meaningful action. The Lisbon-strategy is testimony to that, and despite the recent focus of the EU Council on climate change, which we rejoice at, it is highly likely that the climate/energy strategy outlined last week will meet the same fate. For the European Greens, the pursuit of national interests is a recipe for common failure. Therefore we really need a new impetus for the EU; the current challenges, and most certainly climate change, are a not-to-be-missed opportunity,” LAMBERTS continued.
As for the democratic impetus, the European Greens clearly argued in favour of European wide referenda and the creation of citizens’ legislative initiatives: “We have to be much more proactive in involving European citizens in European processes – without that the EU will not gain the people’s confidence it so badly needs,” the EGP Spokespersons are convinced.
GRAHAM BURGESS
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
GRAHAM BURGESS
Tel no: +32 2 626 0724
Mobile no: + 32 477 902 023
email:graham.burgess@europeangreens.org