Mr President, Commissioner Monti, as Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, it is my duty tonight to explain our motive for tabling this question. Interpreting the contributions of my committee, I feel that the Commission has not always made much effort to provide an effective response to the issue of communication. The subject was debated a number of times within the committee and, on 14 April 2000, a year ago now, Commissioner Reding informed us that she was going to present a communication, a project, a strategy, but, so far, nothing has happened. There are delays which we cannot fail to highlight because we feel that the European Union's strategy is closely linked to information and communication. I believe that these are not rhetorical phrases but genuine questions specific to European integration, to the integration of a Europe which we want to be institutional and political as well as economic. The citizens must be kept informed, made aware of the European Union activities, at least where the three most important issues are concerned: enlargement, monetary union and European defence policy. Therefore, if the objective, as was stated at the Lisbon meeting, is for the economic side of things, for the economy to be knowledge-based as well, we cannot ignore the fact, Mr Monti, that the Union, which cannot and must not remain merely economic, is in need of a huge effort in terms of the citizens' awareness and their participation in the integration of this Europe if it is to become a political and civil Union as well. There is thus a contrast, and I would like to make this absolutely clear, between a euro which becomes tangible notes and coins, a currency that becomes a single currency, the euro, which will come into circulation next year, and a Charter of Fundamental Rights which was adopted at Nice, even though it has not been incorporated into the Treaties. My own personal conviction on this matter is that, although there is much criticism of the post-Nice process, every endeavour has been made to lay the foundations for a European Constitution. There had to be an initial stage of the establishment of certain fundamental rights of the European citizens first, and the project which has to be advanced and the development of the necessary cooperation between the Commission and Parliament are linked precisely to the possibility of designing, of formulating a European Constitution which establishes and affirms the rights of all the citizens. The process is a tedious one, however. There was a desire to do everything at once, forgetting that the institutional and legal processes are slow moving and must gradually involve the participation of all citizens. Well then, the issue of communication – as you see, Commissioner, this is not a piece of make-believe but something which is innate in the nature of the relationship between the institutions and the citizens and in the will to build a Europe of the citizens as well as an institutional Europe – is closely linked to a strategy, to a genuine communication project which, I regret to have to say, on behalf of the Committee, is lacking, despite the numerous debates which I have called for and which have taken place in committee and, quite frankly, despite the appeals made by all the groups to Commissioner Reding and President Prodi. We are appealing once again, this evening, to you, Mr Monti, for the motive for the question is linked precisely to this issue. I am sure that you will take these considerations fully on board, or rather, I must add, we must both take the issue on board so that the relationship between the Commission and Parliament is a productive, transparent and lasting one, as it is right that it should be in this legislature and as we are making every endeavour to ensure that it is. The Commission must take notice of what the Parliamentary committee and Parliament as a whole are trying to make them understand and are stating repeatedly. Therefore, if this evening's debate succeeds in furthering a closer relationship and obtaining a genuinely convincing response from you, then I think it will have been a very useful initiative.

Political group: PPE-DE