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Accueil arrow newsitems arrow Van Rompoy succeeds to make a British EuroSceptic use a Pro-European Vocabulary...

Van Rompoy succeeds to make a British EuroSceptic use a Pro-European Vocabulary...

Ecrit par ACM
Thursday, 25 February 2010

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(+Opinion). A 1st succes by EU Council's first President, the serious, profound and concise Herman Van Rompoy, wasn't only his obvious Pedagogical capacities, in the crystal-clear and substantial presentation he made to MEPs after the Solvay Library's EU Summit of February 11 in Brussels, both of the New EU Institutions, created by Lisbon Treaty's entry into force since December 2009, and of EU Heads of State/Government discussions how to draft EU's New Economic Strategy up to 2020, in addition to immediate concerns over the financial Crisis in Greece and elsewhere.

Van Rompoy made it clear that his "full time" role, after being elected by the 27 EU Countries' Governments for the next 2,5 Years, is mainly focused on EU's "overall Strategy", organizing and following up "Collective Decisions" of the "European Council" (i.e. the highest Summits of EU Heads of State/Government, able to reach official decisions each 6 Months, in addition to Informal Summits for political discussions), while also representing it both in Internal and External High-level meetings, (in the latter case by "working closely together" with EU Commission's vice-President on External Affairs, Barones Ashton, Head of EU's new Foreign policy service).

But it was more the frustration provoked to various MEPs by his careful abstention from early public appearances and frequent noisy statements on various current affairs, (as they were accustomed), which apparently created opposing, but strong feelings in some at EU Parliament.

From the one side, new leader of the French Governing Majority Party's MEPs, (UMP), Jean-Pierre Audy, who had vainly called for Van Rompuy to start debates at EU Parliament since December 2009 (see Audy's statements to "EuroFora", published then), friendly regretted that EU's 1st President didn't come first to speak to EU Citizens :

- "We can't do Politics without Democracy, and the Democratic Lecons of the 2005 French and Dutch Euro-Referenda, as well as in many other Countries, if People were consulted, is that EU Citizens are not against Europe, but feel that it's working without them, sometimes against them". That's why German Chancelor Merkel and French President Sarkozy tried to put EU Citizens back at the heart of the European construction : Nothing will be done without EU Citizens, nor without Member States' Governments, he said.

- "You have a duty to give a Meaning, to fix an Aim, to convince that Europe brings Solutions, protects, acts", Audy advised. - "EU walks on its 2 feet : Governments of States, and People. You should play the role of its Head, and it's from your capacity to attract States towards a Political Union that depends EU's Future", he concluded.

From the other side, British EuroSceptic MEP Nigel Farage, Chairman of the EFD Group, notoriously over-reacted, on the contrary, by a personal aggression against Van Rompoy, insulting his look as if it reminded a "damp rag" or a "low-grade Bank Clerk", and calling his Country, Belgium, "a Non-Country", (etc)... provoking protests from other MEPs.

Many Media pubished Farage's incident versus Van Rompoy, but nobody noticed yet what is perhaps the most important :

- For the 1st time in his career, Farage, whose party wants for the UK to withdtraw from the EU, instead of restricting himself only in his usual anti-EU criticism, on the contrary, now, speaking of Van Rompoy, he was incited to use an astonishingly .. pro-European Vocabulary :

- F.ex., he spoke about "the Peoples of Europe", praised "European Democracy", and practically supported that a "President of Europe" should be "Voted" by EU Citizens, and be someone "heard" allover Europe, as "a Giant Global Political Figure", a "Political Leader for 500 Million People", strengthened by a "Vote" giving him "Legitimacy", in order to "speak on behalf of the Majority of (EU) People", (etc).

I.e. by accusing Van Rompoy, in his view, not to fulfill yet the Promises made to -and not to meet yet the Expectations of- the People of Europe, Farage was surprisingly obliged to refer to even stronger pro-European Political integration aims than those contained in EU Lisbon Treaty, (which, f.ex. , does not provide yet for a direct election of an "EU President" by EU Citizens). And, indirectly but inevitably, (contrary to his own beliefs), attributed a great importance to such extremely advanced pro-European expectations...

Farage" even ..praised Van Rompoy for being "Competent and Capable", and therefore .."dangerous" for "Nation States"", as he said, returning back to a traditional EuroSceptic point of view.

But, meawhile, Van Rompoy's unexpected "miracle" had worked : His serious, reserved and careful personality, had obviously frustrated even an openly declared anti-E.U. as British "Independentist" MEP Mr. Farage, to the point to make him, unwillingly, adopt a pro-European Vocabulary valorizing EU Political Integration...

Smart move, President Van Rompoy !

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Fillon invites EU to invent "New Horizons" behind Oil crisis

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geothermal_plant_400_01Soultz-under-Forests, June 13, 2008

A pioneer Franco-German research project on GeoThermy, near Strasbourg, served as "Symbol" of EU's will to become Independent on Energy by developing innovative Technologies, while imported Oil prices threaten to provoke a World-wide crisis.

It's essential to demonstrate Europe's will to "invent New Horizons", by creating Environment-friendly, Independent and Renewable Energy sources, while price rises continue for Oil, a polluting old ressource with insufficient stocks, stressed French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, anouncing that this will be a focus during the forthcoming French EU Presidency (July - December 2008).

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Fillon symbolically injected a 1st KWh produced by GeoThermy into Strasbourg's Electricity grid, during a special gathering of German and French officials at Soultz-under-Forests ("Soultz-sous-Forêts"), using a geothermal innovation which is "the most advanced in the World" :

The innovation uses Strasbourg's underground water richness to capture Heat, by injecting liquid among Rocks 5 km deep, where temperature is 200 c. Thus, it can be activated at any moment and location, even without natural warm water springs : A big advantage compared to old biothermal tools.

Engineers, Scientists and the Industry will have 2 Years to invent practical ways for this innovation to become productive and cost-efficient in real Economy, said Fillon.

115 Millions of Euros invested, 15 Research Labos, 430 Scientific Publications including 34 Doctoral PhD, and a systematic cooperation between French and German Governments and Public Agencies on Research, succeeded to prove that the new method works.

Already able to serve Electricity to a village with 1.500 inhabitants, the pioneer project intends to reach a capacity to serve 20.000 inhabitants before 2015, as part of a larger Plan to make all Renewable Energy Resources (together with Wind, Solar, etc) able to cover more than 23% of all Electricity needs before 2020.

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- In fact, "behind the challenge" faced with the current Oil crisis, there "is a New Horizon that we can shape all together", by "creating New Tools for the Future", Fillon launched towards EU Member States.

Meanwhile, we should intensify Energy Savings, simplify Transports, and help the Poorest cope with growing Oil prices, until EU joins a World-wide lead into inventing reliable and sufficient Renewable Energy Sources, he added.

Many, technologic and other Challenges exist, but they can be overcome : F. ex. the new GeoThermic method tested at Shoultz since 1987, had provoked an Earthquake at a nearby site, close to Bale, by injecting big volumes of pressurized Water in underground broken Rocks near a Seismic Faultline in 2003. But the move was rectified later-on, by diminishing the amount and pressure of the water injected in underground rocks, so that no Earthquake is provoked.

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More than 1 Billion Euros are invested by France on Scientific and Technologic Research about Sustainable Development until 2012, aiming to take a 10 years advance, there where innovation can become source of Growth, Competitivity and Jobs, which, according to some evaluations could reach more than 220.000 before 2020, Fillon observed.

During the forthcoming French EU Presidency, together with our German friends, we shall do all necessary efforts for Europe's World-wide lead against Global Warming, thanks to Energy tools able to ensure its Independence, Growth, and Citizens' well-being, he concluded.

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The "Enhanced Geothermal System" (EGS) stems from pioneer research initiated by teams from France, Germany and Italy, joined also by Swiss, the U.K., and Sweden, even U.S. and Japan, since the 90ies.

In 1996, a European Economic Interest Group (GEIE) was founded, in order to exploit Electricity-produsing Heat from deep underground Rocks, including France's EDF and Germany's PfalzWerke.

In 2002, a Pilot scientific project started to be tested in Soultz-under-Forests, 50 kms north of Strasbourg.

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