EU Parliament largest Group President (EPP) Daul to EuroFora: We'll address all big Political issues

     All big Political issues of interest to EU Citizens are due to be addressed by EU Parliament from 2010, now that the new EU Commisssion was voted for the period 2010-2014, replied to an "EuroFora"'s question the President of the largest Group of MEPs, ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Joseph Daul.

    "EuroFora" had asked President Daul if he thought that EU Parliament could now go well beyond its important Legislative work and deal also with Big Political Issues which interest EU Citizens, such as Europe's Future, Identity and Borders, Environment and Climate, how to overcome the Global Financial Crisis, Global Governance, etc., as it was reportedly discussed, last week in Paris, during the visit of EU Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek, who met also with French President Sarkozy, at the eve of an exceptionally important Franco-German Summit with Chancellor Merkel (See earlier "EuroFora" NewsReports from that last event in Paris).

 

    - "All Big (Political) Issues will be addressed" by EU Parliament, "even if they are not (strictly) Legislative", ensured Daul in his reply.

    - "Big issues will start to arrive, now, with the new (EU) Commission", he observed, speaking the same Day that EU Parliament's Plenary in Strasbourg debated and voted for the 27 New EU Commissioners, after a series of previous Hearings.

    F. ex., "we have an important issue which will soon arrive to us : It's the Budget : - "What Budget for Europe, after 2013 ?".  That's the 1st big file which is going to arrive" to EU Parliament, Daul anounced.

    The point is notoriously linked both with Strategic pluri-Annual choices on Agriculture, Industrial, Research, Cohesion and Regional EU Policies, but also with the ongoing debate on EU's Enlargement, and particularly with Turkey's controversial EU bid, that some speculations in the Past had, since long, estimated as probable around 2014, if EU's financial situation allows to spend enough for the exceptionally expensive cost of efforts to integrate it.

 

    EU Parliament's Rapporteur on the Financial Perspectives, experienced German ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP, Reimer Böge, former President of the Budget's Committee, confirmed to "EuroFora" that he's indeed working on the issue of EU's funds beyond 2013, (which is inevitably linked with the idea that one might have for Europe's future).

 

    And his collegue and compatriot, the experienced German MEP of the Governing ChristianDemocrat/EPP Majority, Elmar Brok, EU's Rapporteur on the Enlargement Strategy and former President of the Foreign Affairs Committee, speaking to "EuroFora", stressed that, indeed, "the People must know what Vision we (EU Parliament) have for Europe's Future".

    - Various more " big issues will start to arrive, now, with the new Commission", continued EPP Group's President Daul in his reply to "EuroFora"'s question.

     - "We have many occasions, currently", to discuss big Political issues, he noted.. Because "our problem, in EU Parliament, as I've already told you, is that we didn't have enough work", at least as long as the new Commission wasn't yet elected.

    But, "naturally, the big Legislaive files which will soon start to emanate from the new EU Commission. So, we (EU Parliament) shall have much work to do", Daul warned.

    However, "at any case, all big issues are always discussed" by EU Parliament, "even if they are not (strictly) Legislative", he ensured, as a matter of general principle.

    - "Now, the Time has come (for the EU) to start really working", President Daul stressed earlier, speaking to Journalists in Strasbourg including "EuroFora" on the vote by a large EU Parliament''s majority of the new EU Commission, under the new Lisbon Treaty.

    - "If some others had heard us (ChristianDemocrats/EPP), we could have started much earlier", he regretted for the Time lost between the June 2009 EU Parliament's Election and the February 2010 vote by a large Majority of MEPs for the New EU Commission.

    It was endorsed by 488 votes in favour, 137 againsy and 72 Abstentions, "for the period until 31 October 2014", as EU Parliament's President, Jerzy Buzek, anounced, signing immediately the official documents in front of the Press, including "EuroFora", in order to gain precious Time.

    - "The Challenges EU faces today require Urgent Action", and 'we are Ready",replied to Buzek's call, in front of Journalists in Strasbourg, including "EuroFora", the re-elected President of the New EU Commission, Jose Barroso.

    - "The mission that we are giving you today by our votes is to serve the construction of a Political Europe, audaciously and ambitiously, able to looking towards a big Horizon, by facing the current Global Crisis with an EU equiped versus competition, completing the Internal Market, and "doubling energy on External issues, ("Defence, Security and Technologic, Industrial challenges"). "And we shall judge you on the progress that you shall make in this direction", stressed also Daul, as President of the largest Group of MEPs, whose support was indispensable for the Barroso II Commission. With 13 ChristianDemocrat/EPP Commissioners, the rest comming from the Socialist and Liberal Group, which also supported the new EU Commission, even if for "different reasons each one of them", as the Chairman of the "Green" Group, Daniel Cohn-Bendit claimed earlier, speaking to Strasbourg Journalists, including "EuroFora".

    - "I didn't personally vote for Barroso, (even if many Socialist MEPs did, including from Spain and Portugal, etc.), but I know that we (EU) need a Commission to start working asap, so we vote for it today, as a Collective body", added meanwhile the President of the Socialist Group, German, MEP Martin Schultz.