newsitems

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/21-22 May 2013/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Parliament's Rapporteur on Banking Supervision, the centerpiece of the Banking Union project, that many hope to use for stimulating Growth, experienced long-time MEP Marianne Thyssen, Leader of the Belgian Delegation to the biggest EU Parliament's Group, that of ChristianDemocats/EPP, and Member of its Bureau, speaking to "EuroFora",  while the Plenary was set to debate and vote on adopting her Report, foresaw the conclusion of necessary Negotiations with ECBank and Governments during the forthcoming Months, but also acknowledged the fact that EU could have already completed its Economic/Financial Governance reforms much earlier, even before the 2008/2999 Globl Crisis, indirectly but surely pointing at certain 1999-2002 Errors ;such s Turkey's controversial EU bid, which noitoriously provoked the 2005 "No" to EuroReferenda on the EU Constitution project, back on 2005, which weren't overcome but only with the 2007-2010 ad.option of the New  EU Lisboj Treaty between 2007-2010, i.e. after the 2008/2009 Global Crisiisj.                               
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In particular, EU Parliament's Rapporteur highlighted to "EuroFora"  the main Next Steps, until probably this Summer and/or Autumn 2013, particularly vis a vis ECB's new role, in Negotiation with MEPs and EU Council, in order to complete the 2 or 3 last Cornerstones in the edification of EU's Banking Union, that many believe to be a "must" for stimulating much needed Sustainable Growth :
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- "We (EU Parliament) are going to vote" on her Report for EU Central Supervision on Banks , so we have a Debate this afternoon (Tuesday, May 21), but we shall vote only the bulk of Amendments tomorrow (on Wednesday, May 22), i.e. we confirm what was decided in Trialogue, the agreements that we (EU Parliament) made with the EU Council".

>>> - "However we will have to Postpone the Final Vote, until transmissions to the other (EU) Institutions), because we want to have Time to create the necessary conditions for EU Council's Agreement; and room for manouver for final negotiations also with the ECB, EU Parliament's Rapporteur stressed to "EuroFora".

 - First, "given that we still don't have the final agreement fom the (EU) Council, which cannot yet decide unanimously because in one (EU) Member State, Germany,  the Minister of Finance has to Wait the Vote from its National Parliament (i.e. Berlin's Bundestag), as a consequence of the BundesVerfassungsGericht's (German Constitutional Court's) judgement" at nearby Karlsruhe, of 9/2012, which has notoriously asked for a previous consultation of the National Parliament on such measures due to affect the National Budget, she reminded.

+ But, the most important, seems to be that it's also "because we (EU Parliament) want to have room for manoeuver to negotiate a Strong Inter-Institutional Agreement with the European Central Bank (ECB), that is responsible vis a vis the EU Parliament", Thyssen pointed out.

- "We have already concluded on Legislation", but, in particular, "we want to be Sure that in Practice, it EU Parliament) will be Able to exercice all its Rights" :

 - In fact,  "we (EU Parliament) want to have a Strong position towards the ECB, which is used to work Alone in Monetary policy, where they are not Accountable" to anyone, "because they were due to be Independent", in that specific activity.  And we (EU Parliament) want to be sure that they have made their mind that now they (ECB) ar really Accountable to EU Parliament, (at least on Supervision of Banks : ECB's New Mission, added to its initial Task); and that they wiill respect the Rights that we (MEPs)  have" vis a vis the Banking supervision mechanism, she stressed.

- "We Postpone the Final Vote mainly in order to exert Pressure on ECB", stressed also the main Speaker of EU Parliament's biggest Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, French MEP Gauzes, speaking later-on to "EuroFora".
 => For that purpose, a sequence of negotiations between Franckfurt (ECB Headquarters) and Strasbourg/Brussels starts asap : On this Crucial point, "we've just Started (EU Parliament - CEB) Negotiations last week", and, "It might go on until this Summer, I don't know", Thyssen estimated.

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+ "Next Step (in order to complete the Banking Union Structure)is the Resolution systems for Member States", she added in reply to another "EuroFora"s question.
  - In fact, "we (EU Parliament) want to be sure that if something happens,  and a Bank is in a Bad situation, then therer is a mechanism, with a good structure and the Right Tools, to let this Bank stop their credit activities, and take economy measures. So we want a good Alternative to the old Insolvency Systems, which are not fit to the quality of the Banking system", Thyssen explained.

=> Thus, Yesterday (Monday, May 20) Evening was voted in the Economic affairs Committee (Swedish MEP) Mr Hokmark's Report, concerning Recovery and Resolution of Banks.

>>> - "So, after yesterday Evening's decision at the competent Committee, .. ...He starts Negotiating with the (EU) Council, and they can proceed as fast as possible, it means that they could finish the dossier, I hope, on July or September, I don't know. It's Difficult for me to Foresee. But we'll sSart as Quickly as possible", she promissed.
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Concerning the overall EU Timing issue, EU Parliament's Rapporteur practically agreeed with "EuroFora" that, if EU had avoided some 2000-2004 errors which had led to 3 "No" (in France and the Netherlands, followed by Ireland) to EuroReferenda on the EU Constitution  project, back on 2005, provoking a Delay on Institutional Reforms until the adoption and the entry into force of the New Lisbon Treaty later-on, between 2007-2010, EU might have already completed its Banking Reform well before the subsequent, 2009 Global Crisis, sparing many Hardships, efforts and Time currently needed in order to finalise EU's "Banking Union", of crucial importance today for Europe's Economic Governance, indispensable for sustainable Growth.

In fact, EU's Economic/Financial Reforms "could have started Earlier", i.e. before the Global Crisis, (as it had been already foreseen f.ex. in a landmark 9/1995 EU Parliament's debate for the introduction of the €uro, which had mainly pointed at the fact that the transfert of Monetary powers from the States to the ECB would create a need, due to be more and more felt by EU Citizens,  to establish also an EU Economic/Financial Governance),  but "lost 5 Years", due to the "No" to EuroReferenda oganized for the EU Constitution project, notoriously rejected by large Majorities of People in France, Netherlands and Ireland, (mainly provoked by Turkey's controversial and impopular EU bid since the 12/1999 Helsinki EU Summit, that Thyssen knows well, as Member of EU - Turkey joint InterParliamentary Committee too)....

- "Yes, We (EU) lost 5 Years" then, (i.e. by certain errors committed back on 2000-2004).  "I tell you that, already", as early as "since 2002 the EU Parliament had asked for a strong Central Supervision of Banks., However, what we are doing now is truying to solve the problems which followed the subsequent Global Big Crisis,   (which appeared several years later, after 2008/2009+). But, we have had already warnings before, and EU Parliament had already asked to act on the Banking situation since 2002.After all that, now it's time to have everybody at the same" table and take adequate decisions, she urged.
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EU Parliament's Plenary gave, indeed, a strong Support to Thyssen's Report, (together with a complementary Reprt by MEP Sven Giegold on the European Banking Authority), by  adopting on Wednesday Noon, with a large Majority, all the proposed Amendments to EU Commission's draft, but willingly accepting her suggestion (together with that of he coillegue's Giegold) to exceptionally postpone the Final Vote on the Legislative proposal for later-on, (Comp. Supra).

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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent, earlier, to "EuroFora"s Subsribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).


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*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/20-21-22 May 2013/- The President of EU Parliament's biggest Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, French MEP Joseph Daul, speaking to "EuroFora" on the current controversy about EU - China relations on Solar panels, pleaded calmly in favor of a Negotiated Solution, while also expressing his Trust to EU's Higher Technology potential, which allows to leave comparatively Lower Tech. parts of the Solar Network to other Countries, as he observed just after EU Commissioner on Energy, Gunter Oettinger from Germany, strongly supported the idea for Europe to focus rather on High-Tech. parts of Solar Energy, leaving for China a.o. Countries, components as that of Solar Panels, etc.,

The issue is of "Hot" Topical importance, since EU Commission has notoriously threatened to impose a 47% Tax on imports of Solar Panels from China, claiming that they resulted from Dumping becauise of State subsidies, while China reportedly replied, according to mainstream Medias, that, in fact, this disagreement was largely due to EU Countries' recent Financial Restrictions on State Aids to Renewable Energy sources, and that an eventual Tax would make Solar Energy more Expensive inside Europe itself, proposing to the EU to focuse on Science and to cooperate with Beijing into developing High-Tech programs on Photovoltaics which would become very Competitive Worldwide, threatening, on the contrary, to retaliate by imposing eqivalent Taxes to several EU Exports towards China, while lodging also a complaint to the WTO .

With an EU Commission decision reportedly looming at the beginning of Next Month (June 2013) in Brussels, where Energy issues were discussed this Wednesday, May 22, 2013, during an informal EU Summit of Heads of State/Government before final Political Decisions due to be taken by the official, December 2013 EU Summit, the controversy appeared even more Topical, while the Timing of EU -China Negotiations on Investments and Free Trade were also debated, at the same time, inside EU Parliament's Delegation for EU-China relations (See Infra).

 - "In our (EU's) relations with China, we have nothing to be ashamed of", particularly since "the situation of our (European) HigherTechnologies are still at he cutting edge.", said to "EuroFora" from the outset, the President of EU Parliament's biggest Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, French MEP Joseph Daul.

- "As for the Solar Energy, I reply as Germans also do : Solar should be located there where the Sun is !", he added, apparently considering a possibility to let comparatively Lower Tech. parts of the Solar network to EU's Partner Countries.

- Meanwhile,  EU - China "Negotiations" should  find an adequate Solution about the current controversy on supposed, more or less important, Distortions of Competition, Daul added, pointing mainly at Diplomats at this stage.

- Because, at any case, risk a Trade War, is neither ours (EU's), "nor China's interest", the experienced, Top EuroPolitician advised with calm.

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+ Vice-President of EU Parliament's International Trade Committee, "Green" MEP Jadot to "EuroFora" ; 

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However, Daul's position didn't seem shared by other MEPs, such as, f.ex., "Green" French MEP Yannick Jadot, who claimed, during a Press Conference at EU Parliament on EU - USA Free Trade Agreement Negotiations, togeher with Danish "Green" MEP Helga Trupel, that EU Commission's supposedly pro-Trade stance should be changed in order to defend EU producers in the case of the Solar Panels' controversy with China.

But Jadot apparently found it difficult to explain why, EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht, that he had just accused to be too much in favor of "Free Trade" concerning EU - USA negotiations, could, at the same time, appear so strict vis a vis China that he didn't hesitate to propose a 47% so-called "ANti-Dumping" levy on its Solar Panels' imports to Europe, as "EuroFora" observed in a Critical Question thet we raised during his Press Conference at EU Parliament. Indeed, "Green" MEP Jadot's claim in reply to "EuroFora", (that his Group would have had to exert enough "pressure" to convince de Gucht on China), didn't seem, at first sight, credible enough for a vice-President of EU Parliament's Committee on International Trade...

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+ RESOLUTION on R.E.S. :
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+ Meanwhile, in a Resolution on Renewable Energy Sources (RES), including Solar, adopted by EU Parliament's plenary this week in Strasbourg, on Tuesday 21 May,  MEPs certainly call to strongly oppose any eventual "Dumping" from Foreign Countries, but significantly abstain from ever naming China or the Solar Panels issue, which is not even mentioned.

Moreover, this topical Resolution on RES add, immediately after that point, also an crystal-clear appeal for the EU to better focus on stimulating High Tech. Scientific and Technological Reearch and Development of "smart" New products, also in International Cooperation, in order to boost mainly a High-Tech. exports oriented Trade policy, (i.e. almost as China invited recently the EU to agree in a bilateral Trade and Investment Deal for a mutually beneficial compromise on Solar Energy, which still remains to be negotiated and agreed).

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EU Enegry Commissioner OETTINGER : EU should focus on High-Tech Solar !
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Things became even more crystal-clear thanks to a strong argumentation by EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger, during a "Hot" Debate in EU Parliament's Plenary, on Renewable Energy Sources, Monday evening, (May 20) :

- "Renewable Enegries", including Solar, "need Support, if they want to become competitive in the market, if they should face Compettion", particularly since "the Costs" become "Degressive not at the Beginning, but on the End", he stressed from the outset.

- However, "if we (EU) fromulate these Goals, f.ex.  in terms of active (EU) Support", then we'll "have to "turn down some among them", Oettinger warned MEPs. "This fits well with the (current) issue about China" :

-   "Let's be clear : This Anti-Dumping process against China, i.e. against measures that China took against Silicon Production in Europe, will result into harming the (EU) Photovoltaic Industry, at the end. Because, with the Anti-Dumping, if it obliged the Dumping to Stop, then, Full Costs will exert Pressure, and Prices will grow Higher", he denounced.

=>  In consequence, even if " the Anti-Dumping procedure might eventually help the EU Photovoltaic Plates Industry, nevertheless, it won't help at all the European Energy prices", because "the trend on Energy won't be to become Cheaper, but, on the contrary, more Expensive", he pointed out.

And this can be a big problem, particularly considering also the fact that, as he observed at another occasion this week in Strasbourg, in certain areas, Work Costs have become less than Energy Costs..

-  Thar's why, even if "there is a clear position of the (EU) Commission", and, in this regard, "a procedure has begun", so that "I am part of that procedure against China", "without defending any kind of so-called "German position", (as he said vis a vis Berlin Government's well known Hesitation against a harsh Anti-Dumping reaction towards Beijing, reportedly also because of possible Retaliations against EU Exports to China, f.ex. on Steel, etc), nevertheless, I am worried about that, Oettinger noted :

 - "My Concern is the following : Producing PhotoVoltaic Plates is Low-Tech. And  I don't believe that we could do that in Europe without adding also Dumping, given our (EU's) Environmental requirements (that I support), and our Work Costs", f.ex. "if the Work Costs are 1/10 (one tenth) of that in China, this will make a big Difference" at any case.

=> In consequence, "I don't believe that PhotoVoltaic Plates can remain a task to be performed in Europe, for the Long term", the EU Energy Commissioner concluded.

- "Modules yes, raw Materials yes, High-Tech yes, Software yes. But not the production of Solar Plates. Tool Machines yes, but not this process", Oettinger clearly distinguished.

- Because "it's as it happened with Childrens' Toys :  Toys are now produced in China, and exported towards us (EU), while, on the contrary, the necessary Tools come from Europe", he reminded. "This process will occur also in the area of Solar Plates certainly in a permanent way", he predicted.

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+ EU-China Delegation meeting points at Investments + Free Trade :

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Topically, it's also during this same week's May 2013 EU Parliament's Plenary session in Strasbourg, that its EU - China Delegation hold a meeting on Wednesday Noon, May 22, consecrated on discussing "Investment" policies together with Experts of EU's External Service, refering also to the outcome and new perspectives after the recent, 1st visit of EU High Representative on Foreign Policy, EU Commission's vice-President, Baroness Kahy Ashton, to meet the New Chinese Government at Beijing, at the end of April.

After hearing and discussing an overall presentation on EU Investments in China and the Chinese Investments in Europe, as "a path to an EU/China Investment Agreement", several MEPs were interested, inter alia, also into asking for more "Transparency", from the EU Council and Commission's side, while others, (including mainly the experienced Head of the German Governing party of ChristianDemocrats/CDU, Werner Langen, also President of EU Parliament's Committee for South Asoa/ASEAN, as he confirmed to "EuroFora"), launched a call also for EU - China Free TRADE Agreement negotiations to start asap, in parallel. Something that EU Commission's Experts initially found rather as a "much Longer prospect", as one of them estimated, but "didn't rule it out"  at all, particularly if there is an adequate Political Will by interested Governments inside EU Council.

However, the Expert of EEAS (headed by British Baroness Ashton) thought that "China has still to digest its WTO Accession";, which "is going Well", "but" has yet to be finalized, while, inside EU Council, all EU Member States don't seem to agree (on the Timing) : - "Some would like to Start, but others don't", arguying that EU shouldn't do aùù at the same time : i.e. negotiate with the USA and China on FTA, prefering "a sequence", even if this was rather an "open" political question to be decided.

Meanwhile, Negotiations for an EU - China Investment Agreement are due to start this Autumn 2013, said to "EuroFora" the vice-President of the EU Delegation, MEP Victor Bostinaru, from the Governing SD. party in Romania, who was chairing that meeting, while also anouncing that, next week in Brussels, EU Parliament would hold a Hearing with Beijing's International Relations' Institute, including on Trade and Investment issues, etc., which could also extend, at least partly, on the parallel EU - USA Free Trade Agreement Negotiations, due to start asap, (according to an idea earlier expressed by French Minister for Trade, Nicole Bricq, in reply to an "EuroFora"'s question : Comp. relevant NewsReport, already sent earlier as "DraftNews" to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors).

- "We (MEPs) need to have some good and Solid Arguments to use vis a vis EU Citizens and Businesses when EU - China Negotiations for an Agreement on reciprocal Investments will soon start", vice-President Bostinaru added to "EuroFora", speaking of that forthcoming meeting with the Chinese International Relations Institute, (similar but not identical to Shangai's famous International studies University), obviously ppointing at the need for a Good, serious  and productive EU - China overall Debate in the wider context of the current run up to the forthcoming EU Parliament's Elections of May 2014.

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*EU Parliament/Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Parliament's Rapporteur on the European Aid to the most Deprived People, Irish MEP Emer Costello (ESD), from the Governing coalition currently chairing EU Council, replying to "EuroFora"s Questions, pointed at the fact that the American Federal Government continues to spend some 100 Billions € for Food stamps to the Poor, i.e. apparently much more than the EU, but welcomed also EU's intention to reportedly add Social Re-Integration measures, due to help People get out of Poverty traps, while admitting, however, the fact that several other MEPs and NGOs warn to find adequate ways to prevent any risk of "substitution" of urgently needed, elementary Food Aid, by Employment-related matters, whch are difficult to apply f.ex. to Children, very Old People, irregulatrs, etc, so that a balanced Compromise is yet to be soon decided between MEPs, Commission and Governments (See Infra).

The move came at a Press Conference just after EU Parliament's Employmenyt and Social affairs Committee adopted with a Majority her Report on the creation of an EU "Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived" People, yesterday (Monday) Evening.

- "EuroFora" had asked Costello, (who is also President of the EU - Palestinian Legislative Council delegation), what was the relevant situation in other developed Western Countries, as, f.ex. in the USA, compared to Europe.

+ As well as for some "more concrete" information on EU's reported intention "not only to help in situations of Extreme Poverty, but also into contributing to get Out of Poverty", as she had highlighted earlier.

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- "You made a reference to the U.S., and, indeed, the U.S. Department of Agriculture spends approximatively a 100 Billions € to help eligible Households in terms of Food Aid" :

- "That's 100 Billions € that they (USA) would spend, and that Funding Stream (still) comes from the Agrcultural Department", (i.e. at a Federal level), EU Parliament's Rapporteur stressed in reply  to "EuroFora"s 1st question.

Naturally, to be fair and accurate, EU Countries'  Help to extremely deprived People at a National level  should also be taken into account in any estimations which would compare the overall Help to extremely Poor People in Europe with that which exists in the U.S., (where, sometimes, also Federated States add to the U.S. Federal Aid, too).
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+ "On your 2nd Question : One of the main Differencies between this particular proposal, (for the period of 2014-2020) and the previous one (which existed between 2007-2013), is that the previous one came from the (EU) Agricultural Budget line, while, this particular Fund will come now from the Cohesion funds, i.e. it will come from the Social Budget", Costello went on in her replies to "EuroFora".

 - "That's something very Important, because one of the issues around the New (EU) Fund is that it has Requirements from the Organizations which are working with the Administraton to find the beneficiaries of this Fund, to actually Engage in what's called "Accompagnying Measures" : That's essentially to contribute into finding ways to Help re-Integrate these People into Society". F.ex., "If they are Homeless, that the(se) Organizations should help them find a Home ; if they are Unemployed, that they help to bring them into a stage where they might participate in a Training course, that is actually funded by the ESF" (EU's Social Fund),etc., she indicated.

=> - "This (New) particular (EU) Program, because it has a Social Inclusion emphasis, differs from the previous program, and we believe that it's something which is actually very important. That's an area where the NGOs,the Charities are actually Welcomed", as it was stressed "when we (EU Parliament) went at Consultation with them", she concluded on this point.

+ At any case, "it's important to know that this is the ONLY (EU) instrument that deals with People suffering from an Extreme level of Poverty, because the ESF funding is normaly for Labor Market interventions", i.e. "it's adressing issues of may be Disadvantaged or Unemployment, rather than Extreme material Deprivaton", EU Parliament's Rapporteur clearly Distinguished.  
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Meanwhile, it seems true, (as a collegue Journalist evoked immediately afterwards), that some mainstream NGOs warned against what they called "a Substitution effect", particularly "if the programme allows the financing of Social services", because they are afraid that at least some "EU member States will be tempted to finance their own Structural costs, instead of Food hungry people". In this regard, they reportedly "stressed that the program is about the fundamental Right to Food", while, Today, "some 18 Million EU citizens desperately need this", "many of whom are Not even Employable (f.ex. Children, Elderly, Irregular migrants, etc.)". But, "Food Aid is a Bridge to Social and Employment services", which should, normally, keep their own resources.

That's one of the reasons for which the proposal, in its current shape, even if it got a clear Majority in the competent EU Parliament's Employment and Social affairs Committee, nevertheless, it lacked 2 more votes in order to become able to start immediately final Negotiations with EU Commission and EU Member  States' Governments at EU Council, so that it will need to be better hammered out inside EU Parliament (probably in concertation with the competent EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor), before final decisions in the forthcoming Months, (and while the wider framework of EU's Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives 2014-2020 is still negotiated between MEPs, Commission and Governments, hopefully arriving at conclusions during or after the Summer, as some unverified yet but generally well informed sources indicated later to "EuroFora").

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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent, earlier, to "EuroFora"s Subsribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).

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*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Experienced MEP Catherine Trautmann, Head of the Delegation from the French Governing Socialist party in EU Parliament, replying to a Question raised by "EuroFora" during a meeting organized by Strasbourg's Press Club, agreed that the original Idea that we had initially started to present both to her and other mainstream MEPs from various Political Groups, as early as since 1997, to develop systematic and free MEPs - EU Citizens Public Debates before EU Parliament takes important Decisions which affect People's lives, could help Today, on 2013, to face new Dangers for Abstention and/or Anti-European desorientations which risk to affect Citizens, preventing an otherwise possible repetition or even aggravation of the 1999-2004+ Negative, counter-productive Incidents which had notoriously affected EU's potential in a Negative way, whose consequences are still felt even now, during the current Global Economic Crisis, but don't really look inevitable at all, since the situation could and should be easily rectified by "making Europe Popular, instead of abandoning it to Anti-European Populism", as we stressed.
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- "EuroFora"'s question reminded to Trautman and other parfticipants, a contact that we had with her (also as former Mayor of Strasbourg and soon Minister for Culture and Communications), as early as "back on 1997",  in order to discuss the Idea to help develop a possibility for direct and Permanent Debates between MEPs and EU Citizens, including by using New Communication Technologies, during EU Parliament's Decision-making process, on the most important Measures which affect People's lives.

- "Given what happened afterwards, (i.e. since the 1999-2004 Exceptional Majoriy Abstention in EU Elections, and  3 "No" to EuroReferenda, added to recent 2013 Polls warning about risks for Anti-EU Votes, even more Abstention, etc., f.ex. in France, but also elsewhere), don't you think that this Idea should be revitalized, since it's much better to make Europe Popular, instead of abandoning it to Anti-European Populism ?", we asked.
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- "Concerning a structure for Permanent Dialogue with (EU) Citizens", as per "EuroFora"s Question, Trautmann's reply reminded, at first, an attempt to "set up an "Agora", i.e. a kind of "Forum" with Citizens, together with (former "Green" vice-President of EU Parliament) Gerard Onesta". "But this wasn't so performant, not convincing", as she said for something which had totally Deviated from "EuroFora"s originaly proposed Idea, and even excluded its author, resulting in a repetition of Expensive micro-meetings practically restricted only among some invited pals, and entirely cut off from EU Parliament's decision-making process, so that it soon proved, indeed, to be without any serious interest to the People, as we had naturally predicted..

- "Nevertheless, I certainly think that EU Parliament should become a really "Smart" Parliament, i.e. a Parliament which keeps being in touch with (EU) Citizens", the experienced MEP agreed Today with "EuroFora".

 - In fact, "We are already many of us (MEPs) to receive a great Number of sollicitations, Thousands of E-Mails, etc., which arrive to us every Day : It's really Enormous ! I think that we (MEPs) don't yet realize at all this link that we (can) have with Citizens throughout all Europe", she observed in this regard.

 - "The problem is that all this doesn't reach yet the Political Decisions, so that they have Difficulties to be accepted by EU Citizens, since we (MEPs) need a Democratic Debate with them : This must be said !", Trautman added, indirectly but surely concerning "EuroFora"'s view to to adequately Connect Internet Forums' Debates with EU Political Decision-making, in some practical ways inspired by Administrative Law's basic rules on Public Decision-making Process (f.ex. Contradictory Procedure, Sufficient Motivation, Existent and Legal motifs, No Obvious Errors of Appreciation, etc.), and not at all as a "Touristic" attraction totally unconnected to EU decisions, as others had attempted, uselessly wasting too much Money for nothing..
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=> "We (MEPs) can organize that, we can make it much Better. At any case, it's part, I think that pat of the Missions that we must give to a "Task Force" (due to be established together with other Pölitical Parties,; in order to help contribute promoting EU Parliament's sessions' impact), should be to assess the situation regarding the Contacts that we (MEPs) have with eU  Citizens", Trautman added in her reply.

 - Also "Because  that's one of the Keys, whch would allow to give back to EU Parliament's Plenary sessions in Strasbourg its Popular roots, and to make it a place where EU Parliament finds anew its Popular roots. It's mportant", today, for all MEPs, "the Popular Roots", she concluded in reply to the question raised by "EuroFora".

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