CONCLUSION
70. As with previous IGCs, the Government has aimed
to limit the scope of the current IGC. Regardless of how successful
the Government is in achieving this, there is already discussion
of the next IGC. Germany's national position paper notes that
"more far-reaching concerns for reform are not to be the
subject of this Intergovernmental Conference, but could be tabled
for future discussions with a clear timetable."[190]
Mr Vibert of the European Policy Forum has said that some in the
EU believe that there should be a "comprehensive review"
of the EU "two years from now or five years from now"
meaning that there would be another IGC after the first wave of
enlargement, and before the second wave.[191]
Mr Prodi, the President of the Commission, has said that if this
IGC does not undertake radical reforms, the EU would be required
to hold another IGC in a few years, and this would "alienate
European citizens even further from" the EU.[192]
Lord Brittan has said that he believes that "there would
only be justification for having another IGC if it was clear there
was going to be a limited number of countries being admitted in
the enlargement process now and quite a substantial interval before
the next lot were admitted."[193]
On the Government side, Mr Sheinwald of the FCO has said that
"there will be another IGC at some point, but we are very
keen not to have another one before the next enlargement."[194]
71. President Chirac's address to the Bundestag on
27 June was also significant in the context of the next IGC. Its
more radical proposals appear to be for the IGC beyond this one—it
is, after all, a priority of the French Presidency to complete
the current IGC by the Nice Council in December 2000. As discussed
above, some of President Chirac's ideas relate to flexibility.
He also proposed that the Treaty should be re-organised, that
the competences of the different levels of government in Europe
should be defined, and asked whether a geographical limit to the
EU should be defined. Having resolved these points, a "European
constitution" should be produced. While this represents a
radical agenda for the next IGC, it is important to see President
Chirac's speech in the light of domestic French politics as well
as in the context of Franco-German relations. It is also notable
that there was no timetable attached to President Chirac's proposals.
72. Even this IGC with a relatively narrow agenda
will result in important changes, affecting the basic functioning
of the EU. However, Professor Wallace has said that "the
problems of poor institutional performance in the European Union
to the extent that they are there already are not necessarily
made worse by enlargement...non-Treaty reform has got more to
offer the process of improving institutional performance than
the so-called narrow agenda for the coming IGC."[195]
We have focussed in this Report mainly on the "narrow agenda,"
rather than on non-treaty reform—for example, improving
financial control and management in the Commission, reforming
staff regulations in the Commission, and improving the efficiency
of and coordination within the Council. These issues are also
important. We found numerous examples where the EU needed to improve
its performance in Kosovo and South Eastern Europe in our recent
Kosovo report.[196]
These problems were partly procedural, and partly related to substantive
policies. In our Report on Enlargement,[197]
we also identified a number of areas where the EU needs to reform
its policies, such as the Common Agricultural Policy, in order
to prepare for enlargement. We look to the Government to ensure
that these issues receive the attention they deserve.
73. Whilst the Committee as stated at the outset
of this Report has chosen not to make recommendations at this
stage in the IGC process, it wishes to receive a response from
the Foreign Secretary within the required timescale covering in
particular:
(a) any update or elaboration
of the British position on the various IGC issues as set out in
this Report, and
(b) information on the British position on
any additional IGC issues not covered in this Report about which
the Committee should be informed
The Committee will be continuing its IGC inquiry
and will make further Reports to the House as necessary.
190 CONFER 4733/00, 30 March 2000. Back
191
QQ43-44, evidence to the Select Committee on the European Union,
House of Lords, not yet published. Back
192
Speech to the European Parliament, 10 November 1999. Available
on: www.europarl.eu.int/sg/tree/en/default.htm. Back
193
Q118, evidence to the Select Committee on the European Union,
House of Lords, not yet published. Back
194
Q58, evidence to the Select Committee on the European Union, House
of Lords, not yet published. Back
195
Q159, evidence to the Select Committee on the European Union,
House of Lords, not yet published. Back
196
Fourth Report, Session 1999-2000, HC 28, Available on: www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmfaff.htm Back
197 European
Union Enlargement, Third
Report, Session 1998-99, HC86. Available on: www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmfaff.htm Back
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