Mr President, Mr President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, today is indeed a most decisive day as far as the role of Parliament is concerned. President Prodi's statement – which I see as an undertaking by the Commission – has made clear in an unprecedented way that the Commission will put its weight behind the idea that the two components of the legislature should have real equality of rights in what they do. I believe that what Commissioner Bolkestein had to say was also of particular value. It was, in particular, thanks to Mrs Randzio-Plath's initiative and endeavours that we were able to convince Commissioner Bolkestein as well, something that was not so easy, nor was it clear from the outset that we would be able to do it. I do not believe that Commissioner Bolkestein has now been transformed from a devil into an angel, for we did not see him as a devil and he is not an angel now, but a good piece of work has been done. Commissioner Bolkestein, I would also like to express my respect for the way you today clarified and enlarged on what President Prodi said. Firstly, I see this as a clear commitment by the Commission to bring about the parity, as President Prodi stated, of the two components of the legislature, to give equal weight and value to the roles of the two legislative bodies, the Council and Parliament, and finally, to do so by means of the amendment to Article 202. The statement is clear and unequivocal, and it is as such that we will always, to some extent, keep it in mind. There are, secondly, definite statements on how this equal treatment will affect financial services. I assume that other areas are also affected by the intention – even subject to the legal position as depicted by Mr Bolkestein – to do everything legally permissible to achieve de facto equal treatment for the two components of the legislature. I must acknowledge that what you say, Mr Bolkestein, is indeed how the law stands. What I can read between the lines, though, is that the legal position will not be used to keep the unequal treatment in place until Article 202 is amended, but that everything possible is to be done in the meantime to achieve de facto equal treatment of the two legislative bodies in all essential matters. For my third point, Mr President, I will address you, for it has to do with the setting up of an interinstitutional working party to make appropriate preparations, something which President Prodi has repeatedly urged, most recently persuading Mr Aznar, the President-in-Office of the Council, to give a positive response to the effect that this working party is now actually going to be convened. I would think it right and proper, Mr President, if joint discussions in the Conference of Presidents were to prompt you also to take the initiative in order to achieve what, as I have said, President Prodi was the first to propose, namely this interinstitutional working party. Today is an important day in the sense that it is now a matter of record that we recognise the knowledge and insight possessed by the experts, but at the same time that democratic control means that it is parliaments that, at the end of the day, decide on political objectives.

Political group: PSE