B4-0034, 0037, 0038 and 0040/96

Resolution on the meeting of the European Council of 15 and 16 December 1995 in Madrid

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the conclusions of the European Council of 15 and 16 December 1995,

- having regard to the statement of the President of the European Council,

Preparation of the 1996 IGC

1. Welcomes the outcome of the European Council which, in taking account of the Westendorp report, ushered in a Union in which the milestones of tomorrow's Europe are firmly mapped out;

2. Notes that this report, which deals with the Reflection Group positions on a number of main issues which are in line with the positions of the European Parliament as laid down in the latter's resolution of 17 May 1995 on the functioning of the Treaty on European Union with a view to the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference - Implementation and development of the Union ((OJ C 151, 19.6.1995, p. 56.)), is regarded by the European Council as a sound basis for the work of the IGC, but reminds the European Council that the European Parliament will present its own evaluation of the Reflection Group report before the beginning of the IGC;

3. Recalls its resolution of 14 December 1995 on the agenda for the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference with a view to the Madrid European Council ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 1(c).)), particularly its request for the adoption by the Council of ways of ensuring transparency, access to information and the closest possible participation and cooperation of the European Parliament at the IGC, which could best be achieved through the participation of European Parliament observers at the conference; repeats its demand to participate fully in the negotiation stage and the process of ratification;

4. Believes that the progress made as regards the transparency of proceedings in Council is quite unsatisfactory and renews its call for complete openness when the Council acts in its legislative capacity;

Economic and Monetary Union

5. Welcomes the fact that a decision has been taken as to the name of the single currency and the European Council's confirmation that 1 January 1999 will be the starting date for Stage 3 of EMU, in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Treaty, and that a changeover scenario has been adopted which provides for transparency and acceptability, strengthens the credibility and underlines the irreversibility of the process;

6. Expects the Council to take in due course decisions on appointing the various persons who will comprise the bodies of the future central bank and on defining the legal framework for the use of the Euro;

7. Welcomes the European Council's request to the ECOFIN Council to study, in consultation with the Commission and the EMI, the relationship between Member States participating in the single currency area and non- participating Member States, and demands that Parliament be fully involved in this process in accordance with the Treaty;

8. Notes the European Council's approval of the Council report on the implementation of the broad economic policy guidelines adopted in July 1995, but regrets the lack of European Parliament involvement in the multilateral surveillance procedure, and calls for the application of Article 103(5) of the Treaty, which allows the Council to lay down more detailed rules for this procedure;

Growth and employment

9. Cannot fully share the optimistic conclusions on employment which describe an improvement of the situation and speak highly of the impact of the measures taken in the framework of the conclusions of the Essen Council, which is inconsistent with the figures published on unemployment;

10. Reiterates its view, expressed in its resolution of 14 July 1995 on the Commission's Recommendation for the Broad Guidelines of the Economic Policies of the Member States and the Community (COM(95)0228 - C4-0210/95) ((OJ C 249, 25.9.1995, p. 213.)), that the Broad Economic Guidelines were insufficient to achieve sustainable growth and tackle mass unemployment, and overestimated the strength of the economy - a view which has been borne out by the weakening of forecasts in several Member States - and regrets that no new initiatives for stimulating economic growth have emerged from the European Council;

11. Endorses the European Council's appeal to Member States to devote special attention in their long-term employment programmes to training programmes, the maintenance of the current level of pay restraint, by linking it to productivity, and efforts to maximize the efficiency of social protection systems; stresses the important role of SMEs in generating economic growth and creating jobs; considers that the slowing down of the growth in Member countries demands a more active employment policy and a more efficient use of structural funds;

12. Considers that more emphasis must be placed on the role of the environment policy, having regard not only to the contribution of the new technologies and production methods to the improvement of the environment situation, but also to the fact that the development of these new technologies and the manufacturing of new clean products can contribute considerably to job creation;

Internal affairs

13. Deplores the repeated inability of the European Council to meet its commitment of June 1994 to adopt an overall strategy against racism and xenophobia, the absence of agreement on a Joint Action, and the need to give the Consultative Committee another six months to complete its feasibility study for a possible European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia;

14. Finds the European Council's response to these menaces totally inadequate, and intends in the context of its opinion on the recent Commission Communication to continue to press for an overall strategy involving all the institutions of the Union;

15. Is concerned that in the area of drugs and organized crime the Council has confined itself to dealing with an expert report which, prior to the Madrid European Council, was treated confidentially and was not submitted to the European Parliament under the consultation procedure; notes in this context that one of Council's proposals is the establishment of another ad hoc group on drugs to add to an already confusing range of working groups in this field; welcomes, however, the initiative to look into the possibility of harmonization of legislation in the Member States in order to reduce drugs consumption and trafficking; considers that the conference on drugs held in Brussels on 7 and 8 December 1995 would form an excellent basis for preparations for the world conference requested by Parliament;

16. Regrets that the European Council has not managed to overcome the resistance by one national government to attributing a role to the European Court of Justice in the field of Europol and its Convention;

17. Regrets the failure to approve the poverty programme;

Enlargement

18. Considers that the European Council should have been more specific in providing for the opening of accession negotiations six months after the end of the IGC with all the applicant states which fulfil the necessary conditions, even if they will not all become members at the same time;

19. Recalls at the same time that these negotiations will give positive results only to the extent that the Union acquires a clear vision and suitable structures to ensure its smooth functioning after enlargement, including on the institutional and financial levels;

20. Calls on the Commission to draw up without delay a general document on the political, institutional and economic aspects of enlargement;

Foreign affairs

21. Gives a favourable judgment on the conclusion of various agreements linking the Union to those regions of the world which are of particular interest to Europeans such as the south and east of the Mediterranean, the United States, the Russian Federation and the member countries of Mercosur;

22. Stresses the importance of cooperation in the Mediterranean region, which should be promoted through the application of the budget resources provided for under the MEDA programme;

23. Supports European aid for the Middle East peace process;

24. Considers that the conclusions of the successful Euro-Mediterranean Conference in Barcelona require full commitment to guarantee the follow-up as planned;

25. Welcomes the signing of the interregional framework agreement on economic and commercial cooperation between the Union and Mercosur, but considers that the agreement must now be given greater economic and political content;

26. Welcomes the conclusions of the European Council with regard to Cuba, namely that 'dialogue and cooperation should be continued with Cuba in order to lend active support to the process of reform underway, to foster respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and to broaden the scope of private initiative and the development of a civil society';

27. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council and the other institutions.