Thanks to COSAC, we have broadened and strengthened our public European

sphere. Through debate, through the exchange of experiences, through the

presentation of proposals that also take our national context into account.

But the chapter is not yet closed, far from it. That is why the Reforming Treaty

recognises the additional role of national Parliaments in the European decision

process. That is why we ask them to alert us when there are decisions which

are better taken at the national level due to their specificity.

Reform of the Treaties: urgent priority

The Portuguese Presidency designated the reform of the Treaties a top priority.

It is urgent to resolve this question. We began the Presidency with a clear

mandate for negotiations and we have resolutely stuck to this mandate. We

want to have a Treaty by the end of this Presidency. A Treaty that will allow us

to respond more effectively and rapidly to the challenges facing Europe in the

21st century. A Treaty that also brings more coherence and an ability to respond

when acting at the external level.

We opened the IGC at the end of July and presented the final draft Treaty on

3rd October which we expect the Heads of State and Government to adopt next

Friday here in Lisbon.

The National Parliaments were able to accompany the work of this IGC through

the briefings organised for their representatives at COSAC.

The new Treaty upholds the boosting of the subsidiarity principle by increasing

National Parliaments' control, thereby enabling us to respond more effectively to

our citizens' expectations.

We now have a "yellow card" to control the subsidiarity principle for community

initiatives and an "orange card" that further boosts the power of National

Parliaments, by conferring the Council and the European Parliament with

greater powers to reject legislative initiatives.

Mr President,

Members,

But the reform of the Treaties is not the only item on the agenda of our

Presidency.

The Portuguese Presidency has contributed actively to the Lisbon Strategy and

in particular to the preparation of the new cycle.

This agenda must increasingly be seen as the European response to the

challenges of globalisation, enabling us to make concrete progress in the areas

closest to our citizens' expectations:

More skills (better education and training) for more and better jobs;

Research, innovation and increased competitiveness in our companies;

Energy and climate change;

Response to the new social realities, including immigration.

As immigration is increasingly becoming a central question in our societies, we

believe it should be given new impetus, in other words a comprehensive policy

based on three essential pillars: legal immigration and the regulation of

migratory flows; the integration of immigrants in host societies and cooperation

for the development of the countries of origin.

At the internal level, I would also like to highlight the symbolic importance of the

opening of land and sea borders with the Member States of the most recent

enlargement. At the end of this year, and thanks to the Portuguese initiative

SISone4ALL, another stage of the EU's enlargement to the east will be

complete: free movement for the citizens of these countries. Freedom with

security: one of the greatest gains of the European project.

Mr President,

Members,

But we are not only focusing on an internal agenda. We have also set an

ambitious agenda from the external perspective. Because global challenges

require global and coordinated responses. Because the EU is increasingly

called on to become more involved on the international front. Because 88% of

our citizens expect the Union to play a more active role in responding to global

threats.

At the start of this Presidency in July, we organised the first EU-Brazil Summit,

a first step towards the institutionalisation of a strategic partnership with this key

player on the global stage.

We also wanted this Summit to bring greater coherence to the EU external

policy with the emerging economies (BRICs), with whom we will hold Summits

during our Presidency, striving together to give global responses to global

challenges.

In this context, I would like to refer to our work on combating climate change.

Our goal is for Europe to take coordinated action and to gather the other

essential partners in the preparation of the Bali Summit which will launch the

foundations for the post Kyoto regime.

The European Union's relations with the Mediterranean, the region linking the

so-called western world with the Islamic world, need new momentum. Europe

plays a unique role in the dialogue of civilisations and its history and its culture

should be used for a better mutual understanding and a dialogue that fosters

peace and progress.

This is priority was given to the Middle East Peace Process which gathered new

pace with the Quartet meeting in Lisbon. We must now guarantee the success

of the November Conference so that we can at last talk of peace in the Middle

East.

Finally, but of equal importance to the Portuguese Presidency: the EU-Africa

Summit. For the first time for seven years African and European leaders will

meet in Lisbon to adopt a Joint Strategy and Action Plan so that relations

between the two continents can be stamped with a new mark, relations looking

to the future, to common projects and common challenges.

Mr President

Members

If Tocqueville had written "Democracy in Europe" and not "Democracy in

America", today we would be able to add a new chapter. It would not be the end

of the story but it would be a chapter which is following the right path.

But no chapters can be written about democracy without the participation of

National Parliaments. And we count on the contribution of all the European

Parliaments for this new chapter.

Thank you very much.

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