Speech Nicolaï voor Economisch en Sociaal Comité: "Het communiceren van de EU een sleutelprioriteit voor Nederlands voorzitterschap" (en)

"Communicating Europe", a key priority for the Dutch Presidency: EESC must play a full role, says Atzo Nicolaï other presidency priorities outlined

CES/04/109

16 September 2004

"Communicating Europe", a key priority for the Dutch Presidency: EESC must play a full role, says Atzo Nicolaï.

The European citizen is becoming increasingly critical of and sceptical about 'Europe'. Communicating effectively with the public is therefore a key priority. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has an important role to play as part of a wider European Union drive, Communicating Europe. The EESC will provide a significant contribution, including practical proposals, to the "Communicating Europe" informal meeting of European Affairs Ministers which will be held in Amsterdam, next month (5th October). So declared Dutch Minister for European Affairs Atzo Nicolaï before the EESCs 16 September 2004 plenary session (Brussels).

Minister Nicolaï, who had outlined the NL Presidencys policy priorities in a keynote address, was responding to arguments advanced during the debate by the current EESC's Communication Group President, Jillian van Turnhout (Group III, Various interests, Ireland) and confirmed by the EESC's President Roger Briesch, that the EESC, as bridge between Europe and organised civil society, could and should play an important role in informing the European citizen about the draft constitutional treaty. Mr Atzo Nicolaï confirmed the desirability of fully involving the EESC in the EU's "Communicating Europe" strategy. Many European countries would be holding referenda to ratify the draft Constitutional Treaty. A clear and coherent communication strategy was needed to counter rising public scepticism and apathy.

Mrs van Turnhout pointed to the lessons learned following the successful second Irish referendum on the Treaty of Nice, in which representatives of Irish organised civil society had made the difference by leading the debate.

Key priorities of the Dutch Presidency: the Lisbon strategy, the EU financial perspective, Turkey

In his opening speech, setting out the priorities of the Dutch Presidency speech, Mr Nicolaï confirmed the importance of establishing a solid financial basis for the future financing of the EU and ensuring that the Lisbon Strategy was effectively implemented.

On the question of EU membership of Turkey, he echoed the Committee's position, outlined in its own-initiative Opinion published in July. Namely, that the start of EU membership negotiations with the Turkish government would be desirable assuming that the European Commission had firmly established that a 'critical mass' of progress towards achieving the Copenhagen Criteria had been achieved.

Mr Nicolaï flagged up the Committee's two forthcoming Exploratory Opinions (on training and productivity; environment as an economic opportunity) that had been specifically requested by the Dutch Presidency.

In response, Giacomo Rigaldo (President Group I, Employers, Italy) stressed the need to ensure EU competitiveness and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit as part of the Lisbon Agenda. Real growth would otherwise be impossible.

Mario Sepi (President of Group II) emphasised the importance of fully implementing the Lisbon Strategy for which extra funding would inevitably be required. He also indicated the pressing need to tackle the public's concerns over employment and pension provision.

Mrs Ann Davison, EESC Section President for external relations (Group III, Various interests, United Kingdom), underlined the EESC's usefulness in providing the only non-political EU platform with which to reach out to organised civil society outside the EU.

She highlighted the Committee's close and evolving contacts with its Turkish counterparts via the EU's Joint Consultative Committee (in particular over capital punishment) and the Committee's expertise in assisting the Palestinian Authority in the setting up of a Palestinian Economic and Social Council. She stressed the importance of not adding additional last-minute criteria when deciding whether or not to start EU membership negotiations with Turkey.