FINI AND FRATTINI ON THE EU CONVENTION

UNCLAS ROME 006062

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ITALY'>IT EUR EUN
SUBJECT: FINI AND FRATTINI ON THE EU CONVENTION



1. SUMMARY: ITALIAN DEPUTY PM AND GOI REPRESENTATIVE TO
THE EU CONVENTION GIANFRANCO FINI AND FM FRANCO FRATTINI
TOLD PARLIAMENT THAT POSITIONS WITHIN THE EU CONVENTION ARE
STILL DISTANT AND THE CONVENTION WILL PROBABLY TRANSMIT
"DIVERGENT" PROPOSALS TO THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE
(IGC). THEY STRESSED ITALY'S WISH TO SIGN A NEW EU TREATY
DURING ITS PRESIDENCY IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2003, AND
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REMARKED THAT ITALY'S APPROACH IN THE IGC WILL BE "OPEN AND
FLEXIBLE." FINI PROPOSED INSERTING A CLAUSE ON RELIGION IN
THE FUTURE EU TREATY. END SUMMARY.


2. DEPUTY PM FINI AND FM FRATTINI APPEARED BEFORE A JOINT
SESSION OF THE SENATE AND CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES FOREIGN
AFFAIRS COMMITTEES DECEMBER 17 TO TALK ABOUT PROGRESS ON
THE EU CONVENTION. FINI ARGUED AT LENGTH ON THE NEED FOR A
"CONSTITUTIONAL ARCHITECTURE" FOR EUROPE AND OF ITS
IMPORTANCE WHEN THE EU ENLARGES TO 25 COUNTRIES. HE SAID,
HOWEVER, THAT POSITIONS WITHIN THE CONVENTION ARE STILL
DISTANT AND THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY TO REACH AGREEMENT ON THE
CHAPTER ON INSTITUTIONAL REFORM IN THE CONVENTION'S DRAFT
CONSTITUTIONAL TREATY.


3. THIS NOTWITHSTANDING, FINI SAID THE EU-15 AGREE THAT AN
ENLARGED EU CAN CONTINUE TO FUNCTION BY KEEPING ITS CURRENT
BALANCE OF POWERS, THAT IS, THE CURRENT "INSTITUTIONAL
TRIANGLE" BETWEEN THE EU COUNCIL, THE EU COMMISSION, AND
THE EU PARLIAMENT. HE ARGUED THAT REFORM MUST CONTINUE
WHILE PRESERVING THE CURRENT "BALANCE AMONG FUNDAMENTAL
POWERS." EUROPEAN PUBLIC OPINION, HE SAID, WANTS THE EU TO
BE "SIMPLE, TRANSPARENT, AND EFFECTIVE."


4. FINI DID NOT OFFER MUCH DETAIL ON THE STATE OF PROGRESS
IN THE CONVENTION. HE DID SAY THAT IN A 25-MEMBER EUROPE,
THE CURRENT SIX-MONTH ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY WILL NOT WORK
AND THAT THE PREVAILING FEELING WITHIN THE CONVENTION IS TO
ADOPT A ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY OF "AT LEAST" TWO YEARS.
THIS COULD BE COUNTER-BALANCED BY GIVING THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT A STRONGER ROLE: THE EU COUNCIL COULD NOMINATE
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THE EU ROTATIONAL PRESIDENT AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
COULD "RATIFY AND SUPPORT" THAT DECISION BY MAJORITY VOTE.


5. FINI SAID THERE IS A "WIDE AND SATISFACTORY"
CONVERGENCE OF POSITIONS ON SEVERAL POINTS, MANY OF WHICH
HAVE THE GOI'S SUPPORT. AGAIN, HE DID NOT OFFER MUCH
INFORMATION, LIMITING HIMSELF TO SAYING THESE POINTS
INCLUDE INVESTING THE EU WITH "FULL LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY"
AND ADOPTING THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY IN DISTRIBUTING
POWERS AND AUTHORITY.


6. ON SUBSIDIARITY, FINI NOTED THAT THE EU WILL PROBABLY
WANT TO GIVE NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS A "STRONG ROLE OF
VERIFICATION," INCLUDING THE POWER TO APPEAL TO THE
EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE IF THEY DETECT VIOLATIONS. HE
ADDED THAT THERE IS "UNANIMOUS CONVERGENCE" AT THE
CONVENTION ON NOT WEIGHING DOWN THE FUTURE EU CONSTITUTION
WITH A "RIGID LIST OF POWERS," BUT MAKING IT INSTEAD
"FLEXIBLE."


7. ON RELIGION, HE SAID A POSSIBILITY WOULD BE TO INCLUDE
IN ARTICLE 34 ON THE PRINCIPLES OF PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY
A SUB-ARTICLE REGARDING STRUCTURED DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE EU
AND CHURCHES (UNION OF CHURCHES),LEAVING EACH MEMBER STATE
FREE TO DEVELOP THE ISSUE AS IT DEEMS IT BEST FOR ITS OWN
COUNTRY. DEBATE ON THIS POINT WAS STRONGER OUTSIDE THE
CONVENTION THAN DURING ITS SESSIONS, HE COMMENTED.


8. FINI REMARKED THAT THE CONVENTION WILL INEVITABLY
TRANSMIT TO THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE (IGC) A
SERIES OF "DIVERGENT" OPTIONS. HE AND FRATTINI STRESSED
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THAT ITALY WILL REMAIN "OPEN AND FLEXIBLE." THEY SAID IT
WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT (IT IS ITS "RIGHT" AND ITS "DUTY,"
FINI SAID) TO HOLD -- AND CONCLUDE -- THE IGC DURING ITS EU
PRESIDENCY JULY-DECEMBER 2003, IN ORDER TO SIGN THE NEW EU
TREATY IN ROME. IT IS A QUESTION OF "PRESTIGE" FOR ITALY -
- THE TREATY CREATING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY WAS
SIGNED IN ROME IN 1957; THE TREATY CREATING THE NEW EUROPE
OF 25 MUST BE SIGNED IN ROME IN 2003. THE NEW EUROPE WILL
THEN BE READY TO FUNCTION WITH ITS TEN NEW MEMBERS THAT
WILL JOIN IT IN MAY 2004 AND BEFORE THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN THE SUMMER OF 2004.


9. IN CONCLUSION, AFTER THANKING EU CONVENTION VICE
PRESIDENT GIULIANO AMATO FOR HIS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AND
"VERY VALUABLE" WORK, FINI AND FRATTINI SAID THEY WILL
RETURN TO PARLIAMENT OFTEN TO KEEP IT INFORMED OF THE
CONVENTION'S PROGRESS AND TO SEEK ITS SUPPORT OF THE
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT'S POSITIONS.

SEMBLER

UNCLASSIFIED

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2002ROME06062 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED