Regular News Update from Eurostep, N° 494

4 February 2008

EP Constitutional Committee gives green light to Lisbon Treaty

On 23 January 2008, the European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee approved by a large majority the report tabled by EPP-ED Spokesman Íñigo Méndez de Vigo which considers that, taken as a whole, the Treaty of Lisbon "is a substantial improvement" which will bring "more democratic accountability to the Union", tough strengthening of the roles of the European Parliament and national parliaments, will enhance the rights of European citizens and will improve the effective functioning of the Union's institutions.

The Committee stated that the Lisbon Treaty would provide "a stable and lasting framework for the future development of the Union", and expressed its hopes that all 27 Member States will be in a position to achieve the ratification process by 1st January 2009.

Committee members also welcomed the provisions that seek to improve the Union's ability to act, noting that greater use of qualified majority voting, replacing unanimity, would facilitate agreements in the Council, and that the new European Council President and High Representative for foreign policy High Representative should improve the coherence of EU action.

The report also welcomes the fact that the Lisbon Treaty would strengthen citizens' rights. For example, the binding nature of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights offers greater certainty that citizens' rights will be fully respected, because any action taken by the EU institutions would have to pass this test.

However, the Committee’s report recognises that the text is inevitably "less clear and readable" than a codified version and therefore calls on EU institutions and national authorities to provide citizens with a "clearer basic text of the Union" and inform them "clearly and objectively" about its content.

Furthermore, the report makes the criticism that some "important elements" of the Treaty will only enter into force after several years of delay, such as the new voting system in the Council, and the introduction in the text of some "restrictive mechanisms" to the ordinary legislative procedure in some policy areas, like the "emergency brakes". It also especially regrets the introduction of "measures specific to individual Member States".

For Méndez de Vigo, the approval of the Lisbon Treaty is a "clear political signal" in favour of the ratification process in the national parliaments, even if the recommendation shows that the new Treaty has "finer and poorer points". "We must tell European citizens the truth, but we are recommending the European Parliament and national parliaments to vote in favour, as the end result will have more finer than poorer points", he stated.

http://www.epp-ed.eu

http://www.europarl.europa.eu

China’s growing role in Africa

In recent years, China has shown increased interest in extending its role in Africa, including through development co-operation. Chinese policy and its effects on Africa were discussed by a European Parliamentary Committee, with a report presented by Dutch MEP Bastiaan Belder.

The main argument of the report presented by Mr. Belder was that China’s new role in Africa requires a response strategy from the EU. He also called for an enhanced dialogue between the EU, China and Africa on this matter, and stressed that China needs to engage more and make more commitments in multilateral talks.

Other MEPs commented that China’s stated non-intervention policy in other countries’ foreign affairs should be questioned, but that if the EU wants to achieve something in Africa, it needs China.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Gideon Rachman of the Financial Times commented on the issue: “The Chinese…are going to retain a big interest in energy and other commodities in Africa and that is creating a kind of competition with the US and Europe for influence in Africa. And it is interesting in terms of Chinese foreign policy - this is really the first Chinese expansion outside of Asia where they have built up a big sphere of influence which isn't in their immediate neighbourhood.”
Abdoulaye Wade, the President of Senegal, claims that the EU’s concern over China’s influence in Africa is hypocritical: “If opening up more free markets is a goal that the west prizes – and extols as a path to progress – why is Europe fretting about China’s growing economic role in Africa? The expansion of free markets has indeed been a boon to Africa. But as I tell my friends in the west, China is doing a much better job than western capitalists of responding to market demands in Africa.”

He adds: “China’s approach to our needs is simply better adapted than the slow and sometimes patronising post-colonial approach of European investors, donor organisations and non-governmental organisations. In fact, the Chinese model for stimulating rapid economic development has much to teach Africa.”

China does not impose any conditions to its loans to Africa, while European finance is subject to rules tied to humans rights, respect for the environment, project profitability and job creation. The future will tell which of these approaches is more favourable to positive development in Africa.

EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel announced this month that the European Commission would unveil plans in the coming months for a partnership between the European Union and China over Africa.

Agence Europe, Bulletin Quotidien Europe, 29 January 2008
Committee notes by Ann-Charlotte Sallmann

http://www.ft.com


Concern over lack of transparency in WTO Doha round

The anticipated release of a new set of negotiating texts for agricultural and industrial tariff liberalisation has sparked new concerns from WTO delegates that they will be excluded from the negotiation process.

Delegates are concerned that WTO Director General Pascal Lamy might wrest the negotiation process out of the hands of the chairpersons of the negotiating groups when the texts become available, take control of the process and involve only a small group of delegations in the negotiations.

Commenting on the process, one developing country delegate said: ‘‘Lamy and, to some extent, the European Union, want to take the revised texts directly to the Green Room. [‘‘Green Room’’ refers to closed-door negotiations held among a limited number of delegations] This is going to be dangerous. We think that the texts need to come back to the membership for discussion and if necessary, to have a second revision.”

On Saturday 26 January, on the sidelines of the Davos World Economic Forum, some 20 Trade Ministers from the main trading powers and WTO negotiating groups met over an informal lunch to try to make a breakthrough on the Doha negotiations by the end of April.

Trade ministers from around the world said that 2008 was the last window of opportunity before a deal in the long-running Doha round of trade negotiations would become impossible. However, their urgency and optimism – since it was similar to that on display when the Doha talks were revived at Davos last year – was viewed with skepticism by business leaders, who are concerned about rising protectionist forces as the world enters uncertain economic times.

James Quigley, chief executive of Deloitte Touche Tomatsu, said: “I am worried that if markets slow and people get worried about their jobs, then protectionism will creep into the dialogue.”

Mr Lamy told the forum that he would not call a ministerial meeting to finalise a deal until the negotiations were “nearly there”. “We’re much nearer to ‘nearly there’ than last year,” he added.
(Agence Europe, Bulletin Quotidien Europe, 29 January 2008)

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40907 (Analysis by Aileen Kwa)
http://www.ft.com


Demonstration of solidarity with the people of Gaza: Call upon the EU External Relations Council to actively condemn the enclosure of Gaza

On Monday 29 January around 200 people gathered in front of the European Council building while the General Affairs and External Relations Council was under way. The demonstrators called upon the Foreign Ministers to show more decisive efforts to support the end of the enclosure of Gaza.

Notably they demanded that the ministers consider the status of Gaza’s inhabitants as UN refugees and support the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution, which several European powers abstain till now. The resolution dating from 23 January which “calls for urgent international action to put an immediate end to the grave violations committed by the occupying Power, Israel, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the series of incessant and repeated Israeli military attacks and incursions therein and the siege of the occupied Gaza Strip”.

The demonstration was organised by the Belgo-Palestine Association, ECCP (European Coordination of Committees and Association for Palestine), PRS (Palestinian return Centre) and a number of other Belgian and French solidarity organisations.

Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, reported in the UN Security Council meeting on January 22nd: “Israel has imposed a comprehensive closure of Gaza, halting the import of fuel, food, medical and relief supplies.” He emphasized that Israel’s security concerns cannot justify disproportionate steps targeting Palestinian civilians. At the moment only about 40 percent of the population, 600, 000 people, have access to running water. 50 percent of bakeries are closed, due to a lack of resources and sporadic electricity supply.

Karen Koning AbuZayd, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), described the seriousness of the situation in an article written for the Guardian: “I am deeply concerned by the stark inhumanity of Gaza’s closure. I am disturbed by the seeming indifference of much of the world as hundreds and thousands of Palestinians are harshly penalised for acts in which they have no part. There has never been a more urgent need for the international community to act to restore normality in Gaza. Hungry, unhealthy, angry communities do not make good partners for peace.”

http://www.association-belgo-palestinienne.be
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/6/index.htm
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/sc9232.doc.htm
http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/articles/2008/Guardian_23jan08.htm
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/events/1201433012l