11th Plenary Session of the European Convention Held in Brussels [11 Nov 2002]

On 7 and 8 November 2002, the 11th Plenary Session of the European Convention was held in Brussels, during which debates took place on the final reports of the "Complementary Competencies" and "Economic Governance" Working Groups, and on the place of social issues in a future EU. During the meeting Convention representatives had the opportunity to express their opinion on the preliminary draft EU Constitutional Treaty presented at the previous session.

The Working Group "Complementary Competencies" led by member of the Convention Praesidium Henning Christophersen recommends that the EU Constitutional Treaty include a separate section on competencies. Complementary Competencies or support mechanisms give the EU the ability to support and complement competencies of member states in policy matters in which both member states and the Union share a common interest. The Working Group recommends that support mechanisms be applied in the realms of employment, education, culture, health care, the European communications network, industry, research and technological development. The Working Group also recommends the inclusion of the principles of solidarity and common interest in the Constitutional Treaty.

The Working Group "Economic Governance", headed by German European Parliament deputy and Convention Praesidium member Klaus Hänsch, is the first working group not to have come to an agreement on a common final report. In this particular case, majority and minority viewpoints were included in the final report. The reason for the divergence of viewpoints was based on the differing ways Working Group members envisioned the future of Europe: whether as a "Social Europe" or an "liberal" union of states oriented towards economic development. The majority of the Working Group did, however, agree that it was necessary to determine "minimal standards" in matters of EU tax policy, and also recommended that EU economic and social goals be included in the EU Constitutional Treaty. The resolution of issues on which agreement has so far not been reached will, it appears, be postponed until the concluding phase of the Convention, or until the Intergovernmental Conference.

Members of the Convention that support the ideal of a "Social Europe" wish to achieve the creation of a new Working Group dealing with social issues. The creation of such a Working Group would show that members of the Convention acknowledge the necessity of a union of states in which the interests of European citizens from all social groups are defended. The debates on economic and social issues will be a serious test of the Convention's ability to achieve compromises.

The Convention registers public opinion on questions relating to the future of Europe through its homepage, which has been operational since the commencement of the Convention in February of this year: (http://europa.eu.int/futurum/forum_convention/how_en.htm). NGOs from countries represented at the Convention can register to participate in the Forum and send in their written contributions to this address. Private individuals can express their opinion on matters related to the future of Europe in the following forum: (http://europa.eu.int/futurum/forum/Public/MessageList.cfm?&Thread_ID=24).

The next Plenary Session of the Convention will be held on the 5 and 6 December 2002, and on the agenda will be debates on the final reports of the Working Groups "Freedom, security and justice" and "Simplification" [of legislative procedures and instruments], created in July of this year.  

(end of text)