(Greece's Contribution to the 1996 Intergovernmental)
A. INTRODUCTION
a) The Challenges
1. On the eve of the 21st century, the European Union is confronted with acute challenges, demands and controversies caused by the sweeping changes that Europe has witnessed in the past few years. The Treaty on European Union (the Maastricht Treaty), in force since 1993, was a major step forward in the construction of the European edifice. The problems, however, that arose during its ratification, coupled with the European Union's failure to cope effectively with mounting social problems, such as rising unemployment, social exclusion, environmental degradation and lack of economic cohesion, have demonstrated the Treaty's limitations. These problems were exacerbated by the fact that, even after Maastricht, greater priority was given to single market and single currency issues than to social cohesion and real convergence.
The Intergovernmental Conference will take place in a climate of intense social pressures which stem from the citizens' lack of trust vis-a-vis the complex European edifice, and the evident inability of the European Union to intervene effectively for the preservation of peace and the establishment of a stable system of security and cooperation in today's Europe. This has revealed the weakness of the EU system of external action, and has undermined the credibility of the Treaty on European Union and, by extension, of the Union itself.
2. As a result of the above developments and circumstances, a considerable segment of Europe's citizenry has begun to question the European integration process, while challenging the usefulness of certain institutions, policies and procedures. For a large part of European citizenry, the EU system is the cause of, rather than the solution to, mounting social problems, such as unemployment. The lack of transparency and the insufficiently democratic character of some policy- and decision-making procedures of the European Union system have also contributed to the alienation felt by many of Europe's citizens vis-a-vis European institutions and policy choices.
3. Within its immediate external environment, however, the European Union enjoys a high degree of appeal and acceptance. This is confirmed by the professed wish of all Central and Eastern European Countries, as well as of the European Mediterranean Countries (Cyprus, Malta), to become full-fledged members of the European Union as soon as possible.
The European Union represents for these countries the institutional framework within which they aspire to safeguard their external security, to increase their economic and social well-being and to consolidate their democratic political institutions. The European Union is therefore faced with the challenge of an enlargement to twelve new members, a challenge that, in principle, it cannot but respond positively to. The Union's enlargement should, however, be conducted in a manner that will ensure the promotion of the integration process, the unity and effectiveness of the institutional structure, the preservation of the «acquis communautaire» and «finalite politique» and the achievement of economic and social cohesion. In other words, the new enlargement should not alter the European Union's institutional and political character.
4. It is obvious, then, that the European Union stands face to face with a five-fold challenge:
i) Regaining the support of European society and of European citizens, i.e. the challenge of legitimisation.
ii) Proving that it can play a positive role in combating social and economic problems, such as unemployment, social exclusion, lack of social cohesion etc.
iii) Preparing for the new enlargement - i.e., admitting new members without any major shocks to its operation, or any alterations to its institutional identity and prospects. In parallel with institutional reforms and adjustments, the Union should ensure the sufficiency of the economic resources required for the unimpeded financing of common policies and of the needs bound to arise as a consequence of enlargement.
iv) Aiming at the development of deeper institutional links and unity through the safeguarding and development of national characteristics.
v) Strengthening its external action and identity, as well as the EU's international competitiveness, the accomplishment of which will require the intensification of a common research and industrial-and-technology policy.
b) The Responses: «What kind of Europe do we want?»
5. To respond to such challenges, Europe needs first to clearly define its role - to answer the question «what kind of European Union» we want for the 21st century. In order to answer this question, we need to have a political vision and a perspective for the future of Europe. The answer of Greece to this question is unequivocal: we want a European Union evolving towards the direction of deeper integration, with democratically structured and legitimate institutions that will guarantee the institutional equality of all member states; we want a European Union with common policies, actions and sufficient economic resources that will contribute to the strengthening of social cohesion, social justice and solidarity and lead to a "Europe of citizens, development and democracy", to a European Community of Law, open to the world and capable of protecting its member-states' and citizens' security and independence.
6. In particular, Greece wishes Europe to have a strong political and social identity built upon the values of democracy, respect for national identities, cultural particularities, solidarity, cohesion and tolerance. The answer, then, to the challenges and crisis confronting the European Union can be summed up in the promotion of Political Union. For Greece, the Political Union is a global, comprehensive set of goals which include the development and adjustment of both the EU institutions and the Union's common policies and resources. The Union's endowment with adequate means, resources and policies is a prerequisite for the successful completion of the new endeavour: that of the forthcoming enlargement. The new enlargement is unlikely to provide the political and economic benefits anticipated by the candidate countries, if it results in alterations to the «acquis communautaire» and the EU policies, or ends up impeding decision- and policy-making.
The enlargement to the East will thus be facilitated both by the progress of the candidate countries themselves, as well as by the timely increase of the EU's own resources, required to meet increased financial obligations vis-a-vis the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The same applies for the reform of basic Union policies, such as the Common Agricultural Policy, which is driven by the logic of fund-saving beyond the adjustments required by the new WTO regime.
The Common Agricultural Policy will have to continue obeying certain fundamental principles, like the unity and organisation of the markets, recognition of the multi-dimensional role of farmers, definition of prices and specification of the accompanying measures, including the establishment of the system of direct income support, aiming at securing a sufficient income for the farmers.
7. The revision of the Treaty in the Intergovernmental Conference provides the opportunity for an overall answer to the challenges confronting the Union. It would be a mistake to confine the planned revision process to the institutional aspects. What is needed is the expression of a bold political vision for the Union's preparedness to overcome the current crisis, accept the new members and enter the 21st century with confidence and dynamism, thereby making the pattern of European integration irreversible.
8. In short, the Greek approach to the Intergovernmental Conference consists of the following four main objectives:
i) Evolution of the European Union towards a pattern of deeper integration built upon the principles of democracy, solidarity, cohesion and social justice, i.e. development of «a Europe of citizens and social space» through policies, actions, means and resources designed to solve social problems, and especially unemployment and economic cohesion, as well as that of real convergence.
ii) Development of the Union's institutional system, so that it becomes more democratic at all levels and more effective in decision- making on the basis of the following principles: institutional equality for all member-countries, institutional unity without institutional discriminations or differentiations and institutional equilibrium.
iii) Endowment of the Union with an efficient common foreign and security policy and, ultimately, defence policy, capable of safeguarding the independence, security, external borders and territorial integrity of the Union and its member-states and to contribute actively to the preservation of peace and stability, the settlement of conflicts and the management of crises.
iv) Ensuring the institutional, political and economic conditions necessary for the E.U's successful enlargement to Cyprus, Malta and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
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