Speech Barrosso ter gelegenheid van inauguratie voorzitter Europees Parlement (en)

SPEECH/07/77

José Manuel Barroso

President of the European Commission

On the occasion of the inaugural speech of the President of the European Parliament

Plenary session of the European Parliament

Strasbourg, 13 February 2007

President,

Chancellor Merkel,

Honourable Members

This year, we celebrate what the European Union has achieved over the last 50 years. A history which has seen the European Parliament come more and more to embody European democracy.

I salute the presence here today of the former Presidents of the European Parliament. On behalf of myself and the Commission, I thank you all for your individual contributions to Europe.

Mr. President, I should like to start by thanking you for your speech which had both vision and substance. I share the views and commend the engagement.

Honourable Members, you have elected a President whose experience and commitment to our common European project is second to none.

Europe of Values

Our European values underline the essence of the Europe we want and treasure: A Europe of peace, freedom, democracy, prosperity and justice. The enlargement and integration of Europe to include 27 countries, free of war and totalitarian regimes, underlines the strength of these values and the lessons we have drawn from history: only through a shared undertaking are we able to provide the answers to our citizens in the global world of the 21st century.

Cultural and religious pluralism is a strong European value. In this sense, I particularly welcome the stress made by President Pöttering on inter-cultural and religious dialogue. The European Union is well placed to promote this dialogue. We are steeped in diversity: of traditions, of cultures, of languages and of nations. It is one of our precious gifts as Europeans. And dialogue is the way to ensure that diversity, far from causing division, enriches our unity. I strongly believe that cultural diversity is a source of Europe's strength and of its ability to promote its values and interests.

This dialogue has to be nurtured properly. We intend to make next year's Year of Inter-Cultural Dialogue the platform for this dialogue. The Commission has long pursued a dialogue with religions, churches and communities of conviction. I would like to take this forward in partnership with the European Parliament, as a visible demonstration of how European institutions, working together, make European integration advance. To signal the importance of this dimension, I invited last year the President of the European Council to participate in a meeting with religious and church leaders. I welcome the agreement to hold a summit in May this year, with the three Presidents of the European political institutions and leaders of the main religions and churches, which I will be honoured to host.

On the 25th of March, we have the opportunity to celebrate both our achievements and our values. I am delighted that the European Parliament and the European Commission are playing a full part in the preparations for the Declaration on the future of Europe, following my proposal last May. This Declaration, to be signed in Berlin, represents a real common point of reference – a confirmation of what the European Union is for, and a mission statement for what we want to achieve in the twenty first century.

Last month, in this House, I made proposals that I would like to see in the Berlin Declaration. I did not do it for the sake of making proposals. They correspond to results that European citizens want us to achieve. And I believe that it is by focusing on the goals of our common project that we will be able to reach a strong and enlarged consensus for an institutional settlement.

Europe of results

I am convinced that if Europeans see the European Union addressing globalisation, promoting economic growth and jobs, showing solidarity, tackling climate change, bringing security to its citizens, defending our values and interests worldwide – then they will trust the European Union to reform itself to meet tomorrow's challenges and to deliver results.

We are all here to serve European citizens. If we are to enjoy public consent, we need to target our activities on citizens' priorities, and we need to work in a way that justifies their confidence. We set out exactly this approach in our Citizens' Agenda Communication of last May.

In order to achieve results, we need to preserve and develop institutional partnership. A partnership founded on the separation of competences, but also on an institutional interdependence. While respecting the autonomy of each Institution, we need to stress the commonality of our European principles. Despite some natural political and ideological differences, those who are committed to these principles should build a truly European partnership.

I believe that cooperation between Parliament, Council and Commission is working well. It has proved itself against some stern tests. Over the past year we have seen difficult dossiers resolved – services, REACH, the Financial Perspectives – as a result of the three institutions working together. I am committed to working closely with you, President, as well as with Chancellor Merkel and her successors at the helm of the Council. I am convinced this is the best way to deliver the results our citizens’ demand.

Institutional settlement

The resolution of the debate on the future of Europe is not a sideshow - a more efficient and democratic European Union goes to the heart of our ability to deliver policies. We all know that this is what the Constitutional Treaty would have achieved – and there are limits to what we can achieve without it. As I often say, we cannot build tomorrow's Europe with yesterday's tools.

I know that the European Parliament shares the commitment of the European Commission to give full support to the work of the German Presidency to find the right way forward. The energy and commitment of Chancellor Merkel gives us real hope that we can find a consensus – and make a compelling case for reform and progress to European citizens.

Today, I wish to repeat my call on Member States to find a solution to the Constitutional Treaty. I know that, after the failure of ratification in two Member States, it is impossible to present the same text. But all governments signed the treaty. This has a double implication. First, Member States recognized that the Union needed to solve common problems and common challenges. And, we have not solved this yet.

Secondly, the act of signing a Treaty also implies a responsibility towards the other Member States, towards European Institutions and towards European citizens. It is the duty of all European governments to be constructive and active in the search to find a common solution. And I would like to stress the word common. At a historical moment like this we celebrate the peaceful unity of Europe; we do not have the right to divide it again.

Regarding their positions about Europe, sometimes certain politicians remind me of James Mill. In fact, John Stuart Mill once said that his father loved mankind in general, but hated each person in particular. We also see many that profess their love for Europe in general, but then resist common solutions to particular initiatives such as energy, climate change, immigration, and of course the institutional settlement. We do not need declarations of intentions but what we need is commitment. And, we face decisive tests in the near future, starting with the energy and climate change package in the European Council in March.

Dear President,

Dear Chancellor

Honourable Members,

I have high hopes for the period between now and the term of this Parliament. I believe we have established the right priorities, and the right foundation of partnership to make them work. I look forward to working closely with President Pöttering and with colleagues in the Council to deliver real reform in Europe and real change for Europe's citizens to the end of this decade.