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"The European Union in the next ten years" - Speech by EU Commissioner Orban

Speech by Leonard Orban, European Commissioner responsible for Multilingualism, "The European Union in the next ten years", Charles University, Masters of Interpretation, Prague

I feel very honoured to be here with you, today, in one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. It seems one of the best places to discuss the next 10 years of the European Union. It is like a bridge in time.

I am honoured to be amongst such honourable academics who wrote outstanding descriptions of the EU enlargement and the recent history of the European Union. They made thorough theoretical analyses of institutional interactions in the EU and its future evolution.

I am honoured to be here, with you, the citizens for whom the EU works and whose aspirations the Union should meet.

From the very beginning, I must say that the European Union has had several successful policies. And I hope this will continue.

I do not want to preach to believers: the enlargement was a successful policy. 66% of Czechs consider having benefited from the EU accession, according to the results of the Eurobarometer carried out in autumn 2006. This is an increase of 11% compared to autumn 2005. For Romania, the country I know best, the EU membership has brought, so far, positive results. From my experience as chief negotiator, I must underline that taking full advantage of this status depends largely on how the new member states perform. For the old member states, the enlargement was also a success. The negative effects so much worried about did not occur.

The perspective of the EU membership has stimulated reforms in neighbouring countries. But I am sure professors Rupnik and Lequesne can give us much more details on these aspects.

For the European Union, the question is now: how to proceed? How will the EU evolve in the future?

I am convinced that the political and economic integration will evolve, the institutional structure will be reformed and consolidated. At the same time, the EU will become a global player. This process will be backed by strengthening the cultural and linguistic diversity. The mere creation of my portfolio for multilingualism proves that the Union, while continuing the political integration, tries to strengthen and to preserve the diversity of the European peoples. This is an added value enriching the European unity.

I am confident the EU will be able to develop a fusion between legitimacy and functions, with the view to have a better Union, for the benefit of its citizens.

The Commission has proposed "A citizen's agenda", endorsed by the European Council in June 2006. It set out three proposals:

In this respect, I want to welcome that the Czech Presidency plans to focus on "Europe without barriers", strengthening the single market, competitiveness and deregulation.

So far, the Lisbon strategy has started to pay off: the EU GDP growth for 2006 was 2.9% and a similar value is projected for 2007. The latest Innovation Scoreboard shows the gap with the US beginning to close. Europe created three million jobs in 2006. Unemployment is down to around 7.5 %. Still high, but it is the lowest figure for more than a decade.

Moreover, the Commission and the Member States decided to tackle other issues of concern for European citizens: climate change and energy. To tackle these issues, the EU has set out the most ambitious policy at the world level. I hope other global players, such as the United States or the emerging economies will follow the Union's example. The Treaty of Nice is not enough. We need more effective, more democratic and more transparent institutions, enabling the Union to act more coherently towards the outside world.

Some said that the Constitutional Treaty would take too much power from the Member States. On the contrary, I would say.

It strengthens subsidiarity, allowing the national parliaments to scrutinize the Commission's initiatives debated in co-decision procedure. Even if the Treaty was not ratified by all member states, this decision has already been implemented last year. And the national parliaments are very active in providing feed back. The Treaty aimed at giving the European Union a stronger voice in the world, better coordination between external relations, external trade, humanitarian aid and other types of measures. Not only would Kissinger have a phone number to call, but the EU would be endowed with institutions allowing it to act as a global political player. Now, we have the Berlin Declaration and a firm political decision to move forward, to find a solution by the spring of 2009, before the next European elections.

In June, the European Council is expected to adopt a detailed roadmap. This will be more than a mere timetable. Its main objective would be to have a new treaty in force within the deadline agreed in Berlin. In my opinion, the Constitutional Treaty, signed by all the Member States and already ratified by 18 of them, should be the starting point for an institutional agreement. This roadmap should also specify the policy areas in which new provisions could be envisaged, for example energy. Finally, it should set out a clear timetable for negotiations. This roadmap should be followed by an Intergovernmental conference, to be launched as soon as possible. I consider the June roadmap should set out the scope and working methods of the IGC. This should include the structure of the new treaty, the issues to be discussed and those not to be tackled. Also, it should give possible guidelines on amendments and possible changes.

The European Union must decide, at the June European Council, a mandate and the steps to be taken towards a new Treaty. I hope the spring of 2009 will find the EU with a new treaty. I am confident the new member states will bring their constructive contribution to reaching the best agreement as soon as possible.

Because this agreement will offer the basis for daring reforms in the next ten years. Reforms that will make the EU stronger inside and a role model outside.

***

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am an optimist. I am convinced that the European Union in the next 10 years will bring us closer to the dream of the founding fathers. That we will consolidate a secure, competitive and influent Union, which matches citizens' expectations.

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