Madam President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Mr President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, following the European Council in Ghent, my group feels both hope and concern. Hope, because in Northern Ireland arms are being entombed in concrete, and concern, because we are facing a long fight against global terrorism, which we must pursue with conviction, perseverance and courage. This fight is not limited to what appears in the television pictures, whether they be from Al Jazeera or from CNN. We must deal with the response measures authorised by the United Nations, but we must also make a significant effort in the humanitarian field and in terms of reconstruction and stabilisation, both in Afghanistan and in many other parts of the world. The European Union can play an important role in this context. With regard to what the President-in-Office of the Council said about the Ghent meeting, I would like to point out that in Helsinki the European Council decided to create a rapid intervention force which is still not operational. The prior meeting of certain Member States was inappropriate. I also believe – and I address this to both the President-in-Office of the Council and the President of the Commission – that we must show unity at all times and it is highly significant that, after a European Council, the President of the Commission should appear shoulder to shoulder with the President-in-Office of the Council to announce the decisions adopted. With regard to the relationship between the European Council and the specific Councils, I would point out that the European Parliament is making an effort to speed up the negotiation of the measures you have proposed, but this is not being treated in a corresponding fashion by the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Mr President-in-Office of the Council, I would recommend that, before the meeting of the European Council in Laeken, you read in detail the report by my group colleague, Mr Poos, who is the person with the most historical experience of the Council. It may help you to present interesting proposals. With regard to our relations with the Islamic countries and the Arab world, we believe that the forum we are going to relaunch at the beginning of November may be positive. My political family is also trying to re-establish links and the new tour of the Middle East which you have announced is very important, with an active approach by the Union to the resolution of this absolutely key conflict. As for the economy, please allow me to make a brief point: inflation is decreasing, there are margins, but the European Union’s policy must be active and anti-cyclic, and we still have a Central Bank which takes decisions and a Council which makes recommendations. The Union needs economic leadership. And since you have said that you are going to the University of Ghent for a debate on globalisation, I would also ask you to take the European Parliament’s report on the reform of the international financial system. With regard to the Tobin tax, your political friends have voted against what was proposed in ECOFIN and what my group presented as an amendment. As for the future of Europe, I would like to point out that the Convention is not a war of opposing positions, but must be a joint effort. We are making progress and you are gradually retracting, and that is not good. I am grateful that the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the rapporteurs have been convened. On behalf of my group, I can tell you that we have two concerns: one, that there should be balanced representation between European parliamentarians and those of the Member States, both in the Convention and in the Presidency; secondly, that the Convention should make a difference and not just be a talking shop or a debating club, and should make coherent proposals. Lastly, the proposals should lead to a decision by the Intergovernmental Conference before the 2004 elections in order to honour our commitments in the field of enlargement. And in relation to enlargement, I must say, Mr President-in-Office of the Council – and here there have also been some interpretation problems – that the final exam will be taken at the end of 2002. I am pleased that you were in Poland yesterday. I was there on Saturday and I would like to say that I am surprised that the conservatives of the Union are beginning to say that Poland is becoming a problem because a party of the has won. Poland was a much bigger problem before, because it did not have a solvent government and I believe that, although there always has to be a degree of political competition, we must support Poland, which now has a strong government with a clear desire to take part in the future of Europe.

Political group: PSE