By Bruno Waterfield - 14th June 2006
Europe’s leaders arrive in Brussels on June 15 for an EU summit set to be low on controversy and high on “delivery” rhetoric.
Following last year’s French and Dutch rejections of the EU constitution, Europe’s governments are to focus on making the current treaty work.
Austrian leader Wolfgang Schüssel, holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, and other head of state and government see the "delivery agenda" as the way forward.
“With this agenda we want to post a series of concrete results, for which purpose a timetable will also be presented,” he said.
“In this way we are also hoping to demonstrate that we are listening to what citizens are telling us and that we are getting down to tackling the important issues.”
Delivery
The EU constitution will be kicked into the long grass – until late 2008 – as Europe’s leaders focus on getting on with European integration in the meantime.
Schüssel will argue that getting results over the coming period will open the door for a new treaty at the end of 2008.
“The phase of hard talking and seeking results began under the Austrian presidency and will be continued. In the ideal scenario, this new process should be concluded under the French presidency in the second half of 2008,” he said
“Better regulation, the external dimension of energy policy and the sustainability strategy will subsequently be priorities of the German presidency [in January 2007].”
Dull?
British officials have indicated that a German EU presidency will bring forward “ideas about what to do next” in June 2007 – after French and Dutch national elections.
“We shall not be saying anything about what might be said in the future but recognise there might be some kind of end date, provided it is not prescriptive, not least because of the need to decide the size of the next commission in 2009,” said an official.
The focus on pre-cooked policy and an extended timetable for the future of Europe debate is set to lead to a working rather than contested summit.
Reuters is already dubbing the meeting as "the dullest summit ever" as Europe's headlines focus on the ongoing World Cup football tournament in Germany.
Dinner debate
Heads of state and government arrive in Brussels for the traditional “family photograph” at 5pm.
The first working session – one hour 15 minutes long –will attempt to “roll up” the constitution question and debate will spill over into dinner.
Schüssel is keen for the constitution debate to framed within a wider discussion on migration and immigration as a key part of the EU’s delivery agenda.
Europe’s foreign ministers hold a separate supper where Serbia’s relationship with the EU and the Middle East are dishes of the day.
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