13.04.06 (8:30 a.m.)
WELCOMING WORDS BY MR VAN DER LINDEN,
PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
TO Mr ELMAR BROK, CHAIRMAN OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
(Strasbourg, Chamber, 13 April 2006, around 10.20 a.m.)
Dear Colleagues,
I now have the pleasure of greeting an old friend, Mr Elmar Brok, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr Brok, Elmar,
The development and enlargement of the EU has important consequences for the Council of Europe.
As our friend Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker points out in his report, it is time for Europe to rethink its institutional architecture.On Tuesday, Chancellor Schüssel for the EU Presidency, Prime Minister Tariceanu for the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers and European Commission President Barroso, along with Prime Minister Juncker, presented their visions of the future to our Assembly.
Our debate was very lively and constructive.
Many proposals were made that will require detailed, concrete follow-up.
This follow-up must take place not only in this Assembly or even the Council of Europe.
It must be done through cooperation, involving all the organs of all of Europe’s institutions, as well as national parliaments.
Today, we will begin that process by debating two of the most important issues for relations between the Council of Europe and the European Union.
As a representative of our institutional counterpart, the European Parliament, your participation will greatly enrich our debate.
You yourself have been a member of the European Parliament since 1980.
In 1999, you became Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
You have also been the European Parliament’s principal rapporteur on enlargement.
This outward-looking perspective will provide us with invaluable insights into the future relations between our two organisations.We may come from different organisations, but as fellow parliamentarians, we all share so many interests.
Not least when it comes to ensuring that the parliamentary dimension is given its proper place when discussing institutional matters.
Mr Chairman, we very much look forward to hearing your views.
You have the floor.