The political imperative

Pierre Sellal is convinced that the EU needs to be a stronger and more active presence on the world stage

T he twelfth French presidency since the start of the European project follows the first Slovenian one. For a member state that joined the EU in 2004, the mastery Slovenia has shown and the success it has harvested are the best examples of the beautiful adventure we’re leading together.

Each presidency corresponds to a moment in European history, to a particular context. In 2008, the semester in which the French presidency falls carries us towards the end of a political cycle, since next year the European parliament, and the commission after it, will be replaced.

This presidency also comes at a time when, as everyone is well aware, the Lisbon treaty ratification process is still ongoing. The treaty remains necessary for the EU to work more efficiently and in a more democratic manner, something to which the European parliament, in particular, aspires. As the council has underlined, it’s important for ratification to continue.

From the French presidency’s perspective, this context calls above all for renewed action and the pursuit of tangible results. Europe must give concrete responses to the emergencies and challenges of the moment. We know what major emergencies we all face: skyrocketing prices for raw materials and hydrocarbons; the global food crisis; the necessity to fight climate change; the search for financial stability after the market turbulence we’ve endured. On all these issues, our ambition will be to make a success of the legislative proposals currently on the table – above all the energy and climate change package presented by the commission, which aims to put into effect the promises made in 2007.

It is essential to help consolidate Europe’s role as a leader in international negotiations on the fight against climate change. We are also looking to fulfil the roadmaps we’ve been allocated in the financial sector.

We’re trying hard to successfully implement the expected decisions on the health check of the common agricultural policy, taking into account the spirit of the strategic issues in the debate, which have been highlighted once again by the global food crisis. We are committed to at least examining new proposals from the commission – for example, the recently presented plans for the renewed social agenda.

But more than the immediate decisions that need to be taken and negotiations that need to be finalised on proposals still under discussion, our ambition is to open up a long-term perspective, although continuing the work of the union necessarily falls within the scope of a presidency’s term. This is the purpose of the European pact on immigration and asylum, which will provide a lasting framework for common action.

This is also our objective in external affairs, and particularly in the area of European defence, because at every European door instability and violence persists, and the outside world is waiting for a stronger commitment from Europe, an extra contribution to conflict prevention and stabilisation: only progressively developing these capacities will allow Europe to live up to its responsibilities and demands, as far as peace and security are concerned.

This is the ambition of the new dimension that we’re looking to give to Mediterranean cooperation, facing up to the important relationship between Europe and its closest partners to the south.

Cooperation with the European parliament, in whatever form, and taking account of the current uncertainties about when new rules under the Lisbon treaty will enter into force, will be the a hard and fast rule under the French presidency. One of the essential missions of the French permanent representation is to be a systematic and everyday point of contact on this.

It’s not only a procedural obligation. It’s a political imperative if we want to show, together, that Europe acts, and that its institutions are capable of giving the citizens of our countries, businesses and all those who expect more from Europe, the answers, the initiatives and the contributions that have become more essential today than ever.