EU Parliament President Schulz to EuroFora:Democratic Legitimacy needs boost.Hope on Cyprus EU chair

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Parliament's President, experienced German MEP Martin Schultz, speaking to "EuroFora", agreed with EU President Van Rompuy's statement, earlier in EU Parliament's plenary in Strasbourg, on the need to strengthen EU's Democratic Legitimacy, and expressed the hope that this will start to become feasible, also with an enhanced EU Parliament's role in EU decision-making, thanks to an expected contribution already from the incoming Cyprus' rotating EU Chairmanship, which has just been taken over by President Christofias, who is in Strasbourg for 2 Days, and will speak at the Plenary tomorrow.

- "EuroFora" asked Schultz if he believes, as EU President Van Rompuy has just said here to MEPs, that the necessary "Deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union", (for which he will present a 2nd Report for the October EU Summit) makes it "important" to "Strengthen at the same time the Democratic Legitimacy and Accountability of Decision-making within the EMU", and whether MEPs' quasi-Unanimous demand at least for EU Parliament's President to be fully participating, at en equal level with ECB's President (since the December 2011 EU Summit : Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from that crucial Brussels' Summit), as well as with a generaly enhanced role for EU Parliament, MEP's and EU Citizens throughout EU's Political Decision making.

- Schulz replied with a crystal clear, double  - "Yes ! Yes !" from the outset to "EuroFora"s query on the need to enhance EU Parliament's role for a better EU's Legitimacy, particularly in the current prospect of "Deepening" towards a Political Union, both with his own, personal full participation throughout EU Summits, as well as otherwise, in the everyday Decision-making work of MEPs.

- "I think that the Role of the (EU) Parliament should be Strengthened", Schlutz added.,

 + "And it's absolutery clear that, during the (incoming, July - December 2012) Cyprus' presidency of the EU, I Hope that we can Achieve More, in terms of Cooperation between (EU) Parliament and the (EU) Council of Ministers", MEPs' Head went on to say to "EuroFora".

- Because, "We (EU) have Troubled Times (in the middle of the Global Crisis) and we Need Close Cooperation between the Council and the Parliament", its President explained.

=> - "In this regard, Cyprus"' President Christofias and Myself, we have agreed to Solve some Problems", of this sortrn, during thi Semester of the rotating Cyprus' EU Council Chairmanship, EU Parliament's President concluded in rteply to "EuroFora"s question, but witghout going yet into concrete details, at least at this stage..

Topicaly, Schutz said that to "EuroFora" just after a "Hot" Debate in the Plenary and at a subsequent Press Conference, both on already denounced attempts, shortly before the conclusion of the out-going Danish EU rotating chairmanship, to Exclude EU Parliament from the Co-Decision process in the Shengen area of obvious importance for EU Citizens, and for the persisting inequality between the Presidents of ECB and EU Parliament in their Full or Partial participation in EU Summits, respectively, (Comp. supra), which has been strinly denounced, recently in Strasbourg, also by the President of EU Parliament's biggest Political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Joseph Daul of Germany, (who has just met personaly with German Chancellor Angie Merkel in Berlin, yesterday morning).

+ Meanwhile, Cyprus Government Spokesman, Stefanos Stefanou, who accompagnies President Christofiaa to the meetings scheduled later today with EU Commission's and EU Parliament's Presidents Barroso and Schulz, replying to a "EuroFora" question on the incoming Cyprus' EU rotating Chairmanship for the crucial period of July - December 2012 regarding in particular the relations between MEPs and Governments, (Comp. Supra), positively promised that "We (Cyprus' EU Chairmanship) shall try to help", as he said, agreeing also that this point should be discussed with Christofias himself.