Mr President, Commissioner, Europe must do better on behalf of its citizens. That means dealing successfully with more cross-border problems, and in a more democratic manner. Order should be restored to our European home, at which citizens from across the EU are casting quite sceptical glances. Over the past year, we had a Convention which resulted in a Constitution, at least in draft form. That is, in itself, very good news for the European citizens, as we have mentioned before. There are other ways of restoring order to our European home, though. The report I am presenting to you this evening on behalf of our Commission is also about better, more democratic and more transparent governance. Even without adapting the European treaties, we can implement substantial reforms. Enhancing European governance is one of the Prodi Commission's key strategic objectives for the period 2000-2004. In 2001, we issued the White Paper on European Governance, on which we in this House gave our opinion. Two years later, we are doing the same thing again, only this time it is about progress in respect of the same White Paper. Some important achievements have been made. For example, in April 2002, the Commission started simplifying legislation, which was reduced by no fewer than 35 000 pages. This is an important contribution to the simplification of European governance. In addition, the Commission has published plans in the field of consultation of regional and local authorities, of organisations in the civil society and for consultation with experts. I should like to return to some of these subjects, but what matters now is for all of these plans to be implemented. Not merely lip service, but concrete action! The Commission can do a great deal more in order to actively bring Europe closer to the citizen. I have, in this report, made various proposals to this effect. The first, and most important, proposal is, in my opinion, that all legislative proposals should be subject to a so-called citizens' criterion. This means that for every law that the Commission lays down, it should think about their social, ecological and economic impact on everyday life of the citizens for whom these are established. That is the only way of ensuring that we come down from our ivory tower and that we no longer issue laws in a vacuum or from the top down. I would call on my fellow MEPs and the Commission to support this initiative. Parallel to this, I should like to place special emphasis on the Commission’s use of experts at an early stage in the legislative process. First of all, I have to say that experts are extremely useful. Secondly, I have to note that there is an enormous jungle and also a proliferation of expert groups, both on a permanent and on an ad-hoc basis. There are 850 groups of experts and another 500 or more sub-groups. Nobody, not even the Commission, quite knows exactly who is involved in these. Parliament has already urged the Commission to publish clear lists specifying which experts can be consulted on which topics. In that way, Parliament and the Council, and I even think the Commission, gain a clear insight into who exactly examines these legislative proposals and into the fundamental policy choices that are made during the policy-forming process. When those lists become available, this will benefit us all. I would call on the Commission finally to do something about these lists after three years of promises, for we want a parliamentary democracy and not a democracy of experts. Another important point that I have mentioned is Global Governance. Multilateralism and a broad concept of safety, which include peace and security, but also the fight against poverty and sustainable development, have always been at the heart of foreign policy. It is time for the European Union, the UN’s largest economic superpower, to commit itself to spreading its values at world level during the reform of multilateral institutions. However, we want the EU to speak with one voice in this respect, starting, if possible, with one seat in the Security Council. Finally, turning to the consultation of organisations, I have quite specifically underlined the need for local and regional authorities to be among the bodies consulted. 'Europe begins in the regions'. After all, it is the regions where policy is to be implemented and where many of Europe's funds are spent. The regions are also the places with which citizens identify, sometimes even more so than with their own capitals, certainly when regions transcend borders. That is why it is important for regional authorities to have their own voice and to be given this in the legislative process. The Commission has grasped this well and is showing itself willing to do something about this. We would now like to see this translated into action. On the same subject, Mr MacCormick has drafted a very important report on tripartite contracts and agreements. These contracts with Member States and regional authorities can be a very useful instrument, enabling Europe to start to bring the region nearer and give it actual shape. European governance thus becomes more efficient and moves closer to the citizen. We warmly support the gist of Mr MacCormick's report. Finally, I should like to emphasise here that it is the responsibility of all institutions to achieve credible, transparent and democratic governance. It is not simply the responsibility of the Commission, but of all Institutions. This is why, in this report, we call for an interinstitutional agreement in the area of consultation, to be binding upon all institutions. The reforms contained in the White Paper on Governance are of major importance for Europe and for its citizens. What matters now is for us to roll up our sleeves and get down to business. I thank you for the slightly extended speaking time.

Political group: PSE