European Parliament resolution on the strategic political orientations of the Barroso Commission
Date: 2004-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Commission, deepening of the European Union, interinstitutional relations (EU), knowledge economy

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TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 4
ARTICLE 1
Article 30, paragraph 4a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 850/98)

The Regional Advisory Councils shall be consulted on

4a.
the implementation of paragraph 4.

Amendment 5
ARTICLE 1
Article 30, paragraph 4b (new) (Regulation (EC) No 850/98)

4b.
The ban laid down in paragraph 4 and the definition of
coordinates contained in points (a) and (b) thereof shall be
reviewed, in the light of new scientific information available,
two years after its entry into force.

Amendment 8
ARTICLE 1
Article 30, paragraph 4c (new) (Regulation (EC) No 850/98)

4c.
By 31 December 2005 the Commission shall present to
the European Parliament and the Council a report assessing
the conservation status of other areas of similarly sensitive
deep water habitats in EU waters. On the basis of this report
the Council shall decide on any necessary additions to the list
contained in paragraph 4.

P6_TA(2004)0109

Strategic political orientations

European Parliament resolution on the strategic political orientations of the Barroso Commission

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its decision of 22 July 2004 electing José Manuel Durão Barroso President of the

Commission,

— having regard to its decision of 18 November 2004 electing the nominated European Commission (1)

for the period 22 November 2004 to 31 October 2009,

— having regard to its resolution of 18 November 2004 on the election of the new Commission (2),

— having regard to the current framework agreement on relations between the European Parliament and

the Commission, approved by the Conference of Presidents on 29 June 2000,

— having regard to the commitments made by the Commission on legislative programming and the

associated timetable approved by the Conference of Presidents on 30 January 2002,

— having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2004)0064.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2004)0063.

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A. whereas it is imperative that at the start of its term of office the new Commission should submit
general policy guidelines on which it will base its strategy during the five years ahead and on the
basis of which it will draw up its successive annual legislative programmes,

B. whereas the Commission's proposals for 2005-2009 should constitute a real roadmap for future action,
enabling the Parliament to monitor, assess and judge progress made and the results achieved in the
coming years,

C. whereas the installation of the new Commission is a development of great potential in the process of
matching the European Union's policy priorities more closely to those of the citizens of Europe,

1.

(i)

Believes that the central objectives of the 2004-2009 European Commission should be:

to increase the competitiveness and dynamism of Europe's social-market economy, on the basis of
sustainable development,

(ii)

to ensure the cohesion and consolidation of Europe, underpinned by the success of enlargement,

(iii) to develop an area of freedom, security and justice, while protecting citizens' fundamental rights,

(iv) to make Europe a stronger and more effective force in building a safer and more prosperous world,

(v)

to improve the quality of life of European citizens, and

(vi) to make Europe work better and bring it closer to the citizen;

A more competitive, more cohesive Europe

2.
Invites Commission President Barroso to stand by, and deliver on, his key commitment to making
Europe's increased competitiveness the top political priority of his term in office; believes that structural
economic reform is central to ‘putting Europe to work’, thus maximising the prospects for employment,
investment and growth for European citizens;

Reiterates its support for the EU's Lisbon strategy as the best way of achieving a competitive European
3.
economy, and maintains that sustainable economic development should be the guiding principle for future
policy;

Stresses, however, that the EU's Lisbon strategy currently addresses too many, often competing, objec-
4.
tives; urges the Commission, in the context of the Kok report and next spring's mid-term review, to invest
significant political capital in streamlining and refocusing the Lisbon strategy on the central objective of
generating sustainable growth and employment, with a more precise timetable for the achievement of its
goals over the next five years;

Calls on the Commission to pursue the objective of strengthening and modernising the European

5.
model, stressing the interdependence of economic, social and environmental progress;

6.
Points out that the visions of a stronger economy and of a better society are complementary, and that
Europe's competitiveness strategy for the 21st century should be based on excellence in education, training
and research, high-quality public services and infrastructure, social integration, better working conditions, a
better work-life balance and a leading role in the world in terms of technologies and environmental stan-
dards;

7.
Considers that, in light of the critical problem of ageing populations, together with that of intensifying
international competition, the Commission should offer stronger leadership in proposing strategies to
improve labour markets and encourage Member States to reform pensions;

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8.
Believes that special attention should be given in the EU's agenda for economic reform to specific
further action to complete the single market, notably in the energy, transport, telecommunications and
financial services sectors;

9.
Calls on the Commission to put in place an internal market policy which gives priority to the interests
of consumers and social cohesion; believes that the adoption of social and environmental standards should
be encouraged and particular attention paid to the rights of consumers, and that the development of the
internal market should not be at odds with citizens' rights to services of general interest that are accessible
and of a high quality;

Recalls that active participation in the labour market makes a substantial contribution to a decent
in education and

10.
living, regional development and social cohesion, although investment
standard of
research, as well as government action in cases of serious market failure, also have a key role to play;

Believes that, if Europe is to emerge as a genuinely ‘knowledge-based’ economy and society, higher
11.
priority will need to be given by the EU and its Member States to investing in knowledge and skills through
better education and life-long learning;

Affirms that cohesion is a fundamental principle of the Treaties and of the future European Con-
12.
stitution which strengthens relations between Europe and its regions and reinforces economic, social and
territorial cohesion; reaffirms that the financial instruments for achieving the Union's objectives, including
cohesion, should be adequately funded;

13.
Believes that the Commission should give greater priority to the development of a credible regional
policy for all the Member States; believes that the structural and cohesion funds should contribute positively
to reducing regional disparities, modernising the European economy, and ensuring regional and social cohe-
sion;

14.
Believes firmly that a robust and dynamic economic environment can only be established if the new
Commission commits itself to reviewing the Stability and Growth Pact so as to ensure that it combines the
role of providing a strong bulwark against fiscal irresponsibility with that of offering the necessary flexibility
to ensure that Europe maximises its growth potential without endangering price stability;

An area of freedom, security and justice

Believes that the domestic and international fight against terrorism and organised crime — and the
15.
structures which sustain them — is critical to building a safer Europe for its citizens; believes that Europe
should pursue a stronger common approach to security and an effective, coordinated counter-terrorism
policy; stresses the importance in this process of ensuring the right balance between the requirements of
law enforcement and the protection of fundamental freedoms and personal data;

16.
Believes that the Commission should as a matter of urgency continue work on clearer common
definitions of certain serious crimes with a cross-border dimension — notably terrorism, trafficking in
drugs and human beings, money laundering, and cyber crime — backed by agreed minimum sentencing
rules, where appropriate;

17.
Invites the Commission to attach much higher priority to securing closer coordination of the police,
judiciary and intelligence agencies of the Member States as a central prerequisite for effective policy in this
field; calls for stronger EU measures to enable the freezing of the assets of and the cutting off of funds from
individuals involved in terrorism and other serious crimes;

Invites the Commission to come forward with further proposals to strengthen Europol and Eurojust,

18.
while ensuring full parliamentary accountability and respect for data protection standards;

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19.
Endorses the need for greater clarity in respect of the right of asylum, for quicker procedures for
determining who qualifies for asylum and for the conclusion of readmission agreements with third coun-
tries; calls for clearer distinctions between, and differentiated treatment of, asylum seekers, economic
migrants and temporary refugees in time of war; believes that the Commission should promote a fair
common asylum and immigration policy backed by an active policy of social inclusion and integration;
highlights the need for more coherent and consistent visa rules, and for effective partnerships with third
countries to reduce illegal immigration at source;

Highlights the continuing need for action to strengthen the EU's external borders, backed by the

20.
creation of a European corps of border guards;

Calls for the establishment of a European Agency for fundamental rights to monitor their application

21.
effectively;

22.
Asks the Commission to take all necessary action to ensure the adoption of a proper third-pillar data
protection instrument which would guarantee the same standards as those already established in other fields
by Community law;

Believes in the importance of continuing the integrated approach, based on the Community method,

23.
in the field of Justice and Home Affairs, as set out in the Tampere and Hague programmes;

A stronger Europe in a safer world

24.
Believes that, in the interests of prosperity and peace, it is important that Europe use the next five
years to project stability among its neighbours, promote democracy, human rights and good governance
around the world, extend international free trade, and encourage sustainable development; believes that the
promotion of regional stability and democracy is a distinct added value which the EU can offer to the
international community, often with striking success; believes that every effort should me made in this
process to give more consistency and coherence to the external actions of the Union;

25.
Attaches great importance to the recently launched New Neighbourhood and Wider Europe policies
and believes that these new policies can be powerful tools in promoting stability, prosperity, human rights,
democracy, good governance and the rule of law in Europe and its immediate neighbourhood, including the
Mediterranean; considers that the Northern Dimension of such policies also needs to be given new impetus;

26.
Reaffirms its commitment to the continuing enlargement of the Union in accordance with the prin-
ciples laid down in the Treaties and European Council decisions; stresses the individual merits of the candi-
date countries in fulfilling the membership criteria;

27.
Reaffirms that multilateralism remains the best way to identify and meet threats, achieve global peace
and security and, indeed, combat climate change; calls for continuous support, therefore, for the creation
and implementation of multilateral instruments by the EU within the framework of the United Nations;

28.
Believes that the Commission should continue to recast EU development policy as a vehicle for
(i) advancing democracy, human rights and good governance in less advantaged nations, and (ii) achieving
economic progress, sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals, in a process under-
pinned by greater conditionality, coherence and decentralisation of assistance programmes; believes that the
EU and its Member States should aim to increase total spending on development aid to 0,7 % of GDP by
2015;

Calls upon the transatlantic partners actively to support and strengthen international institutions, to
29.
reaffirm the value of international
law, and to work together to define a common agenda for reform,
particularly of the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions, in order to strengthen their effective-
ness, credibility and democratic legitimacy;

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30.
Calls on the Commission to strengthen and adapt to today's challenges its partnership strategies with
the present leading global actors, in particular the United States, with which the Commission must create
conditions fostering closer cooperation, particularly in:

— the fight against terrorism and the causes of terrorism, while striving for fair globalisation that is

respectful of human rights, democracy and sustainable development;

— the revitalisation of the Middle East peace process with a view to the recognition of a viable Palestinian

State and a guarantee of Israel's security;

— the successful

launch of the new Doha Development Round, believing that any failure could have

serious implications for the future credibility of the multilateral free-trade system; and

— the removal of the remaining barriers to transatlantic trade and investment, based on a joint commit-

ment at the 2005 EU-US Summit to completing the transatlantic market by 2015;

A better quality of life

Calls on the Commission to work, in the domestic policy field, to increase the quality of life in

31.
Europe through policies designed to:

— enable citizens to take full advantage of their freedom to work, study and travel within the EU;

— build a society in which all citizens enjoy equal opportunities, in which the rights and freedoms of the

disabled are respected, and in which poverty is reduced;

— enhance air quality in our towns and water quality in our rivers and on our coasts;

— improve food safety and other safeguards for the consumer;

— promote more efficient and self-sufficient energy use, backed by trans-European energy networks and

greater security of supply;

— pursue an active transport policy, based on the balanced liberalisation of markets,

improvement of

infrastructure links and the continued promotion of safety; and

— encourage sustainable farming and fisheries, protect our countryside, rivers and seas, and bring new life

to rural and coastal areas;

Urges the Commission to redouble its efforts, in particular, to secure global action on climate change,
32.
moving to Phase II of the Kyoto Protocol, whilst exploring increased ways of developing market mechanisms
for tackling this and other environmental challenges;

Invites the Commission to sustain the significant progress that has already been made in reforming
33.
the Common Agricultural Policy, whose effect is, and should be, to make the policy more open, efficient,
decentralised, market-responsive and consumer- and environment-friendly; calls for continued parallel
reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, including the creation of a European Fisheries Fund;

A Europe that works better and is closer to the citizen

Invites the Commission to come forward with innovative ideas for giving greater substance to the

34.
concept of European citizenship, so that Europe delivers visible benefit to real people in their daily lives;

35.

Encourages the Commission to accelerate work in the field of better law-making, with a view to:

(i)

simplifying and reducing the volume of existing legislation,

(ii) ensuring that consistent principles are applied in the drafting of new legislation, and

(iii) ecuring agreed procedures between EU institutions for the prior assessment of the likely impact of all

substantive legislative proposals;

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36.
Believes that the EU should focus more than in the past on the effective implementation of existing
law; calls on the Commission to take speedier, more consistent action in ensuring the proper transposition
and enforcement of EU law in Member States, with more pro-active legal action against being taken against
serious offences;

37.
Believes that the financial perspectives already proposed by the Commission for the period post-2006
should take proper account of developments since last spring, reflect the new Commission's priorities (in
line with this resolution), and run for a financing period in line with the length of the mandates of the
Parliament and the Commission;

38.
Stresses the need for the Commission to continue its internal reform drive, with a view to turning its
administration into a world-class international civil service that uses modern management practices and
offers full openness and accountability in the use of public money;

39.
Demands that the specific commitments made at the hearings of the Commissioners designate
regarding possible conflicts of interest be adhered to and feature in any new code of conduct agreed
between the Parliament and the Commission;

Underlines the important role of the Commission in communicating to citizens why Europe matters
40.
and what Europe is trying to achieve; believes that the Commission should draw up, as a matter of urgency,
an appropriate communication and campaign strategy which presents the new Constitution to Europe's
citizens in as clear, fair and understandable a way as possible;

41.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

*

*

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P6_TA(2004)0110

Bulgaria's progress towards accession

European Parliament resolution on Bulgaria's progress towards accession (COM(2004)0657 —
C6-0150/2004 — 2004/2183(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission's 2004 Regular Report on Bulgaria's progress towards accession (SEC

(2004)1199) and Strategy Paper (COM(2004)0657 — C6-0150/2004),

— having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of

the Copenhagen European Council of 12 and
13 December 2002, the Thessaloniki European Council of 19 and 20 June 2003 and the Brussels
European Council of 12 and 13 December 2003,

— having regard to its resolutions since the beginning of the accession process,

— having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the opinion of the Committee on

Budgets (A6-0065/2004),

A. whereas Bulgaria is a part of the current inclusive and irreversible enlargement process,

B. whereas the accession process must be based on the own merits principle and the timing of Bulgaria's
accession should not be linked to that of any other candidate country, and whereas Bulgaria should
therefore accede to the EU on the basis of an individual accession treaty,

C. whereas Bulgaria continues its steady progress on the path to accession to the European Union, having
provisionally closed all 31 negotiating chapters, and is therefore well on course for accession in January
2007,