By Martin Banks - 22nd July 2007
MEPs will resist any attempt to “water down” the reform treaty thrashed out at last month’s EU summit.
That was the get-tough message from German centre-right MEP Elmar Brok, one of three parliamentary representatives on the inter-governmental conference which was launched on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference, Brok said, “The IGC should not attempt to unpick or renegotiate the treaty. This is not possible.
“Parliament will be watchful that the treaty mandate received from the European council will not be watered down and will remain in place.”
“It is important that the rights guaranteed in the mandate are preserved. This is our challenge for the next few months. Parliament will then scrutinise the text which is finally agreed.”
Brok, the parliament's former foreign affairs committee chairman, said this was a position shared by UK Liberal Andrew Duff and Spanish Socialist Enrique Baron Crespo, his fellow MEP representatives on the IGC.
Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, speaking alongside Brok, praised the “remarkable” success of the Portuguese presidency in drafting a treaty text in the four weeks since the marathon Brussels summit.
He said, “This IGC is unique because it is the first time we know the end point. There is a clear consensus to fully respect the mandate received from the summit. It is now time to get the job done.”
Luis Amado, Portugal's foreign minister said that Monday’s launch of the IGC would be followed on Tuesday by a technical meeting of legal experts to deal with the treaty text.
“These meetings will continue throughout July, August and September,” he said.
The IGC’s primary task is to translate the summit’s political agreement into legal form. It is due to conclude its work ahead of a summit in Lisbon on 18 October.
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